I did an awful thing today! I had a 4 year old girl with her 2 1/2 year old brother. Instead of playing with the toys they were just basically trashing the place - they had the shop with food items, cash tills and money etc and were throwing it at each other, then taking the books out of the bookcase and doing the same, moving onto the dolls etc etc.
I didn't want to blow my top - I think that is exactly what they wanted to gain my attention - the little girl particularly relishes attention!! So I pretended I was on my mobile phone to their mum and dad asking them to come and collect them as soon as possible because they were throwing toys at each other, trashing my toys about and I was worried from a safety aspect of some one of them getting hurt. I then walked away into the kitchen and made myself a cup of hot water. After 10 minutes I came back and they were very quietly putting all the toys back in their rightful place. The little boy then came to me and said "all toys away", I looked at his sister and said "and what do you have to say to me". She laughed and said sorry.
I was more annoyed at the attitude of laughing than I was at the tidying up of the mess.
To be honest I have had enough of this and they both seem to be doing it a lot lately. I would normally have allowed them to watch a DVD after my daughter comes home from school to allow me time with her to get homework done but today I decided not to do this and told them both that I was upset with their attitude to my toys and to me earlier on in the afternoon and they would not be seeing a DVD.
Yesterday as the mum was taking them out the door the children were asked to say bye to me. The little girl turned around and slapped her mum hard and said no. The mum went after her to the car and gave her a good telling off - she made her come back into me - the child was sobbing at this stage and I really didn't get any word of apology. I heard the child today going over the same thing to her brother during play before lunch "now you better say you are sorry or I will not be very happy with you." I know it is her age to repeat things but I just wondered - do you think she really understands the whole idea of messing about and unacceptable behaviour, whether she really is sorry or is it just words?
Today has made me rethink not just looking after these particular children but giving up childminding altogether.
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