hi ya caroline.oh my god wen i read this i couldnt believe the similarities to my own 5 yr old daughter,i totally sympathise with u my daughter is just the same and in our house its a constant battle to get her to behave from the moment she gets up till the moment she goes to bed.Please email me m8 we can talk about these problems and try find a solution 4 wat i am finding a very stressfull and irritating age.i would love to hear from u.

Hi Carolyn,

I can totally relate, my 5 year old is exactly the same, I get so embarressed in public, he attention seeks and does the siliest things, yet at home can be quite pliable and compliant.
It seems to be a need to get attention whether negative or positive, we took him to a friends house for lunch on the weekend and he just did silly, immature things over and over again, and the more we asked him to stop the more he did it, he was smiling about it! We tried ignorning him next, that worked a little better.
Trying to reason with kids like this is like talking to a brick wall, we are having to implement some firm boundaries and discipline, and be consistant with it, ie: if you act up at the shops you will not get the sweets mummy promised you, or a favourite toy/book/game gets removed.
Our son has behavious problems in school, he disrupts class to the point where he has to be excluded, I have cried many tears at this stage and we are getting him tested for ADD, just in case there is something there.
If you want some friendly chat and support, to share success stories, please email me, I would love to stay in touch, remember - you are SO not alone!

I have the same problems with my 5 yr old girl. I do not know what to do with her anymore. She has destroyed two babysitters houses in less than 2 weeks. She was also kicked out of daycare. I have pretty much given up hope. Punishing her does not do any good. She could care less.