Today my DS1 and DD only argued twice... do you want to know how I did it? do ya'? do ya'?

[poppiesinaline]

DS1 and DD fight and bicker and argue every day from the moment they get up to the moment they go to sleep. There are small windows now and then during the day when they get on but generally they shout and scream and bicker and bicker and it really gets me down.

so, today when they started at 7.30 am I warned them, that I had had enough and I would really loose my rag if they carried on arguing today. I told them that if they argued, I didnt care who started it or who was to blame, they would both sit at opposite sides of the room facing a wall for 30 mins every time they argued.

They only did it twice this morning and havent argued alllll day. and it was lovely and quiet while that sat facing their wall

Well, it worked today.. .tomorrow is another day ....

[Jelley]

How old are they?
I'm wondering if it would work on mine....

[SoupDragon]

Leaving one of the pair locked in the shed all day works too.

[SherlockLGJ]

Well done, it is times like this when only being able to have the one, can feel like a blessing.

[shosha]

Message withdrawn

[poppiesinaline]

They are nearly 10 and nearly 7.

I have been tearing my hair out all Christmas holidays and they have driven both DH and I INSANE. wish I had thought of this trick at the beginning of the holidays.

LOL at the shed

[Greensleeves]

When ours were littler and screaming at each other, dh used to threaten to strap them both into their car seats and put them at opposite ends of the bath

He didn't mean it.....

[Twinkie1]

DD gets locked in the cellar (the imaginary one - she tells me we don't have one when I threaten her - which we don't) so I tell her I will hit her with the wooden stick with nails in it - she replies - OOOOOO Yeah like you will!!

Ds gets chucked on the stairs or in his bedroom with the stairgate up - he hates it and stands and shout - Mummy me be dood now!! - bless him he only 2!!!

[tribpot]

Hee hee! My bro and SIL are struggling with their two arguing (nearly 3 and just gone 4) and my bro and I are stoutly insisting we never argued. You should have seen my mum's face at the mere suggestion (If it helps, we now get on really well, so only 20 odd years to go!)

[poppiesinaline]

I usually try and ignore as much as I can but normally have to step in before blood is drawn . But its getting me down too much, plus DS2 is watching and learning and I'll have all 3 of them at it if things don't change.

I have tried the facing the wall thing before but just for 5 or 10 mins and it didnt work. I yelled '30 mins' in a fit of rage and then thought afterwards, 'oh bum, thats far too long, but Ive said it now so I've got to do it'. I was so chuffed it had the desired effect. DS1 got an extra 5 mins too the first time as he kicked DD on his way to his wall. He didnt do that the second time

[lilymum]

ooh, clever you poppies, have 4 myself (nearly 5) and older 2, age 7 and 5 are so horrible and bicker so meanly it drives me mad. Will definitely give that a go.

[MrsSpoon]

LOL! Might keep that in mind.

Reminds me of when I was trying discipline Supernanny stylee and put DS1 in the vestibule, at the time he was seven and was supposed to be there seven minutes. I had a friend in the house at the time and we were chatting and I forgot all about him until she said "MrsSpoon is your DS1 still in the vestibule?". He had been in there over 20 minutes and was very well behaved for the rest of the day.

[poppiesinaline]

PMSL Mrs Spoon

[roisin]

Mine are 7 and 9 and go through phases of getting on well with each other, or squabbling every 5 mins.

It actually really annoys me that they can be good if the stakes are high enough. We spent 3 days visiting relatives before Christmas (when boys are tired after long term, hyper, and excited). I really laid it on thick with them beforehand ... and their behaviour was impeccable in every way for the whole time! I was very proud, but also shocked. If they can do that for a special occasion, there's no excuse the rest of the time, is there?!

Having said that they have been pretty good for the last 2 weeks too, so I can't really complain.

[ludaloo]

.....whats a vestibule Mrs S?

[MrsSpoon]

ludaloo, it's obviously not my personal vestibule (that's a whole other thread and nothing to do with naughty children) but it is the space between our front door (storm door?) and interior door, it's a Victorian house so an old fashioned thing but quite a handy space.

[poppiesinaline]

"and this house has a vestibule, useful for the storage of shoes, umbrellas, buggies and bickering children"

[BumMum]

You sound very posh mrs spoon I had to look up vestibule in an on line dictionary!.... and it seems I've got one as well.. only we call it a porch
(will use the word vestibule in future though..

[MrsSpoon]

ROFL! At me being posh!

In our house it's not a porch because it's internal to the house, IMO a porch is on the outside of the house.

[MrsSpoon]

Vestibule , Porch .

[flack]

Good tip, Poppies!

[Labradora]

We don't have a porch or a vestibule...so it's the front door step for my little treasures!