My 5 year old dcg started wailing all day because her 3 yr old bro is going to half day school for a couple of weeks. The girl claimed she missed her bro at dc. Thing is when bro arrrived for the day at lunch time, she just ignored him. Huh? No amount of reasoning, soothing, bribing etc. changed her depressive mood. Her parents and I had long discussions and they think it is parental seperation anxiety. She has been coming to me for FOUR yrs, now she's anxious? Parents are coddling her excessively. Yesterday she came with bro at lunch because Dad said on phone she is too sad to come in a.m. She came in wailing and Dad left in tears and then suddenly she was happy happy again.
Light bulb went off- we have all been played. She has been getting new outfits, toys and treats since this "depression" has begun and she has continued it because it has been working out really well for her. Today she came in a.m. kind of o.k. when Dad showed at lunch with bro she did the histerical thing again until he left and then was happy again. I told her she needs to stop doing this to her parents her response was to smirk and say o.k. I thought I was going to miss this long time dcg, but now I can't wait for school to start and say bye bye to her manipulative behaviour.