8 Year Old Girls...PLEASE HELP ME.

[stuckinoki]

What are they like?

I've got one visiting for the next week or so and I'm terrified because her stepmom told me that she's snotty and won't eat what they cook for dinner....

Unfortunately that won't fly in our house [the food or the snot]

How do I handle this while she's here?

The food part is a hard line for me, DH and I eat very healthy meals, no boxed stuff and while I don't want her to starve, I am NOT going to open a restaurant in my house for her while she visits.

I got a bunch of stuff that she can help me make [homemade pasta sauce, tacos etc] I'm hoping that if she helps cook, she'll be more excited to eat. Stepmom tells me that she eats hotdogs and grilled cheese or microwave pizza for dinner while the rest of the family eats what's prepared.

Also, I was hoping that the weather would hold so we could just go to the beach every day and sunbathe and play in the ocean, but it looks like we're in for 4 days of straight rain.

I'm not trying to make the visit miserable for her, or like a boot camp experience, because it is supposed to be a vacation for her....buuuuttt...I have NO idea what to do

Please. Any insight or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[karlilay]

My cousin is 8 and she comes over 3 times a week. She is a lovely girl, very into horses and animals, she loves crafty things, making, sticking etc. I record some TV programmes for her weekly, can give you a heads up if you want.

As for the meal thing, I can't help much as I cook different to what ewe are eating for my daughter, she just won't eat. But has always been this way so it's easy for me. Maybe you could take a trip to the supermarket and just buy a few ready meals in case she doesn't like what you have made. But don't tell her you have them, maybe it will encourage her healthy eating.

I'm sure you will have a great time.

 

[Ali33]

Maybe she isn't as bad as stepmom makes her out to be? My daughter is 9 and loves to help me cook and will eat it. I bet she wont be as bad as stepmom says. Maybe give her 2 choices on what to eat, not different from the family but something you all can eat.

 

[smelly07]

Agree my daughter is 7 and doesnt act that way, and agree maybe its the stepmum who has the issues or maybe the poor girl has had a lot to deal with x

 

[SerenityNow]

I think that having some craft activities would be good if the weather is bad. Both my girls love that sort of thing.

As far as the eating, I'd try to find a happy medium. I don't tolerate picky eating with my kids, but she is your guest, and isn't your responsibility to raise. Also, some kids (and adults) are genuinely sensitive to tastes and textures, while some are just stubborn about trying new things. Not knowing the case with her, I think you are best off compromising on something that suits all of you and maybe having some options at dinner, like pasta without sauce or fruits as well as vegetables, that aren't a whole separate meal, but give her somethings to fill up on without it becoming a battle.

Is she just visiting by herself or will she have her parents with her?

 

[stuckinoki]

Thanks so much for the advice ladies.

She's been absolutely awesome. Good manners, polite, fun. I don't know why her stepmom said she was a monster, but she's definitely not.

We've been to the beach, took the ferry to the wild horse islands, tie dyed tshirts, baked, cooked dinner together etc...

The first night she was here, she helped me unload and reload the dishwasher, fold and put away towels AND unpacked her suitcase into the dresser in her room.

When we went to the beach, a man gave her a conch shell he found and she said "Are you sure you don't want to keep it? Thank you very much Sir."

In retrospect, I'm wondering if her stepmom was just over-exaggerating her behavior to keep me on my toes, but so far she's been awesome to hang out with.

She's very much into adult things [make up, hair do's, house chores, etc] and she does have a little mouth on her, but it's not bad, it's mostly just sarcasm and when I tell her to stop, she does.

We have chickens and she's been occupying herself with them.

I also taught her to play rummy [because one can only tolerate so much 2 player go fish] and we've been doing that too!

Thanks again for all the advice, I was so nervous but am feeling much better about it now...

serenity, she is here alone.

 

[Ali33]

Yay happy things are going well!