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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect my DS aged 4 to not break / trash everything he touches

34 replies

gingersj · 07/05/2007 21:04

I am at the end of my tether. Love DS to pieces, but my God, he is a whirlwind that I cannot keep up with.

Today alone he has broken one (v cheap) digital camera, brought all sorts of leaves and garden bark chips in the house, gone through 3 sets of clothes, scribbled all over a book, trashed the lounge, tried to stab the fish, jumped in 20 puddles after I said not to etc

I dont want to spend my time saying dont, dont, dont, but all of the time he is just breaking stuff, trashing stuff, being hugely clumsy, tipping glasses / cups over etc etc.

Help.

BTW he also gives the best hugs, kisses and melts my heart.

OP posts:
Original poster
gingersj · 07/05/2007 21:23

No, but they did bring garlic bread into my study and type with it.....nice, my fingers smell lovely.

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 07/05/2007 21:21

It must have been a good day if he didn't get the ice cream out of the freezer and try to eat it under his duvet, or pull any curtains down, ginger I know how you feel!

Original poster
gingersj · 07/05/2007 21:21

Katherine, the sudocreme made me laugh out loud

I know its not funny, but am v glad it is not just me.

OP posts:
Original poster
gingersj · 07/05/2007 21:20

I am really tough with him. It is kind of hard when he was left downstairs watching TV and he just goes and does something. Even when I am with him, he still does stuff he shouldn't, to push me, to see my limit ... I set it, am really strict and will tell him off in no uncertain terms or put him in the corner

We have no felt tips in the house, no wax crayons, got rid of loads of toys as he has broken them or forfeited them.

OP posts:
newlifenewname · 07/05/2007 21:19

Moondog take me to this ideal world whence you came from please...and let me leave the children behind.

katherinez · 07/05/2007 21:19

Sounds just like my dd (4). I posted about her a while back coz she was driving me crazy. We mwent to a frinds house the other day and pulled all the polystyrene stuff off the inside of their airing cupboard door. She is always wrecking everything and I keep thinking by now she should know beeter. Her and her sister covered themselves and the carpet in a whole tub of sudocrem the other day and I was really dispairing. Have been slightly better lately.

moondog · 07/05/2007 21:16

Don't let them then!
I have always kept mine under a very tight rein and really let them now how displerased I am when they wreck stuff.My sister's kids wrecked things and she would get angry but she didn't teach them about the differenec between stuff they should and shouldn't touch.

Original poster
gingersj · 07/05/2007 21:14

Thank goodness it is not just my DS wrecking my house!

We have just had lots of work done on the house and he has done his best to trash it. Took a pink felt tip and drew a line on every step of the new carpet....picked up a piece of slate (following daddy trying to be ehlpful) and dropped it on the new kitchen fllor tiles, smashing it to pieces .... last year took all of the keys off my keyboard for my work laptop.... etc

I just dont know what to do. Some days I think there must be something 'wrong' with him to be such a demolition expert, other days I think he is just being a boy.

OP posts:
newlifenewname · 07/05/2007 21:09

Funny you should mention this as I feel EXACTLY the same way tonight.

Spent all day yesterday sweeping the patio and tidying up outside only to discover ds aged 4 spreading mud all over the place using a plastic shovel.

He then proceeds to stand on a wall socket to open the window in order to chuck stuff out of it and rips the socket from the wall.

Spilt milk over the carpet first thing and has had numerous rough and tumble sessions that have ended in tears with his younger brother.