Are all 5-year-olds annoying as hell?

[Anonymous]

I agree with what pps are saying - it's most likely because he's an only child and is not used to sharing attention. I found that my 3yo is much less tolerable than my 5 yo

[Anonymous]

Maybe he is not used to not always being the center of attention if he is an only child.

[Anonymous]

I think OP is just not used to 5 year olds. And that she's a little bit judgmental.

[Anonymous]

Yes, 5 yr olds who are only children are annoying.

I had one and she had lots of friends like that. They are used to being the center of attention. It's tough for them to share the limelight.

[Anonymous]

I hate to add to the only child pile-on, but the one kid I know who acts like this is an only child. I also think it's a parenting issue though. You don't have to act like every thing your kid says is fascinating. It really is ok to say - the adults are talking now Jimmy, go find something else to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're on vacation with some old friends and their kids. Their only child is 5. Our kids are 3 and 2, and believe me they can be plenty annoying in their own way, but this 5-year-old is driving me crazy. He is not a bad kid and his parents are not inattentive. They are not always consistent with discipline but they're pretty good -- as good as most parents I know. I want to love this child and I know he means well but I'm having a tough time. He is just so annoying. He constantly interrupts adult conversations and then just talks and talks and talks without taking a breath until you finally cut him off after like 5 minutes, then he gets mad and whiny. If I compliment my child in any way, he has to one-up him. E.g. if I say "That's a nice picture" to my DS, this child will say, "But my picture is NICER, right?" And of course it is because he is older, but it's just mean to say. And yes I do compliment this other child probably MORE than I compliment my own child, but I do occasionally compliment my own child. If I sit down to read a book with one of mine, this other child MUST be included and then loudly talk through the entire thing. He is also a huge tattletale, and he seems to feel competitive even with much younger children.

Is this just the age? Is it an only child thing? Are my kids going to be like this? Do you think the parents realize how annoying he is?

I thought the EXACT same thing about my neighbor's 5 year old DS (they gave two kids). My child at the time was 2.5
Guess what?! It's NORMAL 5 year old behavior. Some kids tattle, whine or interrupt a bit more than others, but ALL of them do it. Get over it OP, your snowflakes will go through this stage too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OP is just not used to 5 year olds. And that she's a little bit judgmental.

+1

[Anonymous]

Pp above, I would also like to remind you that 5 is still quite young. Of course he feels competitive with younger kids still, do you think he's 10? Give him a break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This particular 5 yr old sounds very insecure. If he asked "but MY picture is better, right?" I would physically touch his arm or head and say, "It's not a contest." If he interrupted when I began reading to my (quiet) children, the very first time I would put a hand on him, look him in the eyes, and say, "You're welcome to listen, but if you're going to talk I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room. This is a reading time, not a talking time." Then if he spoke again, I'd close the book, stand up, and calmly lead him to the door and say "I told you this was a quiet time. Since you want to talk, why don't you go find your mom/Larla and talk with them since you can't stay here now that you talked."

+1!!

Yes. Totally appropriate to handle it this way in the future.

I don't think his behavior is typical of the age. Some five year olds are like that, but many are not.

I'm guessing some of the PPs are right about him being used to having all the adult attention. My guess is he's also an extravert by personality, which means he's more likely to speak his thoughts out loud. As extraverts get older, they learn to curb those impulses and let others share the conversation and the attention. But five is pretty young to learn that skill unless it's been reinforced constantly at home.

[Anonymous]

My 5yo is not an only child and is far more annoying at 5 than at 4.

[Anonymous]

my five year old can do these things but typically it would not happen around other families or at school. He's much more annoying at home with us. And yes we correct him about interrupting, one upping, etc. constantly.

[Anonymous]

My 4.5 yo DD is an only, but she's far from used to monopolizing all adults' attention. Most kids that age are in school at least some of the time, where they learn to wait, take turns, and navigate conversation. My DD, who would (and does) talk for hours at a time without stopping, still knows that she needs to give other people space to talk sometimes. In fact, we had a contractor at the house the other day, who was talking to me and DH about a construction project, and she actually raised her hand to ask permission to interrupt, which I thought was quite funny. Obviously, that's not how we normally live, but she was applying school norms at home since she knew they worked at school.

That said, the competition thing is a problem for us too, and the Olympics made it worse. Now, it's not just "I'm the fastest," but "I win the gold -- you win the bronze." We're working on that.

[Anonymous]

They drive me nuts as well. Way to much talking and are know it alls. I like to prove them wrong so they will shut up.

[Anonymous]

It is an only child thing. My son is an only - only child and only grandchild. He behaves very well around other adults. He behaves well in the classroom.

But if I give a child he doesn't know my attention - he does not always deal with it well.

[Anonymous]

you have to tell him straight up no tattling each time he does it. I've gone so far as to say I don't care, not stop tattling, I don't want to hear it. Most kids are easier at 5 but don't be afraid to be blunt with him.