'My 6yo delights in hurting other people's feelings'

“Am I raising a 'sociopath'? I feel like I’m failing as a parent; we're all afraid of her." 

Every parent knows the feeling of getting to the very end of your tether. 

However, the end of one mother’s rope has left her questioning if she’s raising a "sociopath". 

“I feel like I’m failing as a parent,” she stresses. 

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“She delights in hurting other people’s feelings" 

“My 6-year-old has been difficult from an early age but has progressively gotten worse as time has gone on,” the mum adds. 

“She has never responded “normally” to discipline which has always made teaching her accountability and retraining behaviors an impossible task because she truly doesn’t care about anyone or anything.” 

Over time it has only gotten worse. 

“She delights in hurting other people’s feelings, including my own, and does it all with a smile." 

The way her daughter treats her younger sibling has become the main matter of concern. 

“She also has become physically harmful towards my 21-month-old, often pushing her down or tearing things away from her in a way that causes a physical recoil and fall,” she said. 

The mother took to a Reddit advice group to help manage the behaviours. 

“The other kids are afraid of her and frankly so am I. Gentle parenting does nothing, one on one time does nothing, firm boundaries do nothing, consequences for her actions do nothing. Help. Please,” she wrote.  

Esther from Orphan might have some sociopathic tendencies. Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

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"Be weary of slapping labels on your child"

The advice in the comments of the post was consistent in recommending professional help for the child. 

“Talk to a doctor or therapist. They can give you actual answers,” the top voted comment reads.  

“Check with her school about potential referrals and resources,” another suggested. 

A third suggested to proceed with caution: “Be weary of slapping labels on your child without actually understanding why the behaviours are happening.”

The mother agreed that perhaps referring to her daughter as a “sociopath” was a little rough. 

“ I apologise if this struck a nerve. I don’t honestly believe that my six-year-old is sociopath nor am I equipped to diagnose her myself,” she reasoned.  

“Do I wholeheartedly believe that both her and I need help to mitigate larger behavioral issues in the future? Absolutely.”

The mum says that she’s currently on a waiting list for paediatric care.  

Originally published as 'My 6yo delights in hurting other people's feelings'