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Original poster

Just a little ‘proud of myself moment’ So today I made my point....

35 replies

Inarightpickleandpreserve · 06/09/2020 23:55

I’ll start with explaining I was extremely exasperated and that the children know that when I say something I mean it!

The answering back today was unusually pushing the boundaries which I get that’s what children do, however it felt today like they were almost testing me to just double check if I definitely would proceed with what I say, if that makes sense!

DP was in the garden and so didn’t hear, but I said to the children that (after a few warnings of do t speak to me like that) if they continue I will be so cross and disappointed in their behaviour I’ll go out with the WiFi box and confiscate this along with Nintendo for a week.

They looked at me like yeah right, I said so are you done with the attitude?

Eldest looked nervous but pushed it and said yeah whatever.

So I said ok that’s fine go play outside see you in a bit, off they went.

I got my bag, unplugged the WiFi box, got the Nintendo things, removed all batteries from every single item including fairy lights, other remotes, and for good measure put both laptops in a shopper bag. Went out the back said to DP ‘just popping out!’ To which they all waved me off.

I was out for 5 hours. With my phone off, I did text DP to say what had happened so he knew and always backs me up, but then my phone went off.

I got the result I wanted and apologies but I’m so proud of myself for staying out and really really making my point not just half hour!

Think we are all on same page now!!

OP posts:
sunnysidegold · 07/09/2020 00:51

Well done for following through!

caringcarer · 07/09/2020 01:49

Sometimes you have to be tough. I used to take out fuse from plug on Xbox but not let D's know I had done it. He could never figure out why it would not work, and being able to see it but not use it reminded him why he had lost it in first place. Usually for not doing homework or for being rude to me.

Moomum123 · 07/09/2020 08:12

That’s brilliant, well done! Grin

BikeRunSki · 07/09/2020 08:15

Good for you OP. The DC’s PS4 controllers have recently come back from their week in hiding in the boot of my car.

BikeRunSki · 07/09/2020 08:18

About 15 years ago I had a line manager who covered 3 offices (dispersed team) and he spent a lot of the week away from home. He used to take his kids console leads with him, so essentially they got one charge’s worth of playing during the week. I thought this was genius!

Shedpaint · 07/09/2020 08:21

So you walked the streets for five hours with a Nintendo in a shopping bag on a Sunday?

Leaving your DH with the kids all day and your phone off, just so you could follow through on a punishment?
What on Earth did you do?
Why should you have to be away from the house for so long it seems ridiculous?

Why couldn’t you just take it away?
Sounds such a weird way to make your point and a bit childish sorry.
As the parent you just say no Nintendo and that’s it surely?

I think my DH would fear for my sanity if I marched out the house with a load of batteries and games controllers and stayed away for five hours on a weekend purely so I could punish the kids for some backchat.

I’m not sure you actually have the upper hand here OP sorry.

AngryPrincess · 07/09/2020 09:13

The fairy lights, ha!
Hope you had a nice time on your own.

justilou1 · 07/09/2020 09:22

The fairy lights was the icing on the cake! I want to be you when I grow up!

FrancesFlute · 07/09/2020 09:22

Glad it worked. I'd love to disappear for five hours but my DH would have got really annoyed if I'd gone out for that long by myself and left him to it without discussing it!
Although to be fair, my DS is only two so requires more interaction/stimulation and DH would prefer to be playing Xbox himself...

potter5 · 07/09/2020 09:28

Controlling!

dollypartonscoat · 07/09/2020 09:31

"The fairy lights was the icing on the cake! I want to be you when I grow up!"

Really? I thought this was really childish. Why would anyone care (or even attempt to turn on) fairy lights? Bet they didn't even notice the battery had gone.

If you don't want them to play on the switch just tell them not to surely? Confused

dollypartonscoat · 07/09/2020 09:33

Also what was the point in staying out for 5 hours when you've told them it's all gone for a week?

Will your DP not be allowed the battery in the remotes either for a week?

BoggledBudgie · 07/09/2020 09:34

Hmm oh yeah parent of the year there..... not.

InfiniteSheldon · 07/09/2020 09:38

Aah I used to take controllers and remotes to work if they'd played up good on you

PuppyMonkey · 07/09/2020 09:39

I support the idea OP but I’m sorry, I don’t agree with you doing this and then going out and leaving your DP to deal with the fallout without talking to him first and then being unavailable for so long. Your DP didn’t even hear the argument is that right?

. If my DP had done that I would have been cross with him.

slipperywhensparticus · 07/09/2020 09:43

The batteries on the fairy lights so they can't use those on the remotes

I'm assuming OP needed to be out for thst long not that she stayed that long to oiss her disrespectful children off

The dad seems to have coped with it just fine he is clearly a parent to his children

slipperywhensparticus · 07/09/2020 09:43

piss not oiss

RightOnTheEdge · 07/09/2020 09:45

It's good you are happy and got the result you wanted.

I don't know why it had to be quite so extreme though. I would be a bit pissed off I think if I was your partner.
My ex used to say I'm going out for 5 mins, half an hour or whatever and disappear for hours leaving me with the dc all day it was shit.

PuppyMonkey · 07/09/2020 09:46

Well yes, he probably coped fine I just think the OP is taking the credit for her genius plan when she didn’t do any of the work involved in implementing it.

Babdoc · 07/09/2020 09:49

I think prevention is better than cure. I raised my DC to respect me from the start, so they wouldn’t have escalated to this level. I also made clear that I respected them in return - I apologised to them if I was in the wrong, always knocked before entering their rooms, gave them age appropriate choices of activities rather than dictating to them, and encouraged discussion and listened to their opinions.
It made for a relatively peaceful house - there were a few hormone fuelled arguments during the teenage years, but nothing major, and certainly nothing that would have made me flounce off with their batteries!

SoupDragon · 07/09/2020 09:53

Will your DP not be allowed the battery in the remotes either for a week?

You know you (and thus the DP) can just put batteries back in when you want to. Use them, right?

WorraLiberty · 07/09/2020 09:55

Sounds fair enough OP.

Except the bit where you decided on a punishment and then left your DP to deal with the fallout.

I wouldn't be happy at all if my DH did that.

MonsteraDeliciosa · 07/09/2020 09:57

It’s great you followed through on your threat, but you shouldn’t have to go out for hours or switch your phone off in order to discipline your children Confused . Nor remove any batteries, actually.

dollypartonscoat · 07/09/2020 10:01

Erm, I know I can put batteries in wherever I like @SoupDragon

However, the OP needed to flounce for 5 hours to implement a week long tech ban. Makes no sense

RantAndDec · 07/09/2020 10:08

Just to frame it differently from another perspective-
Our DC were playing up and DP was struggling to cope. She told them off, then disappeared without a word, taking their tech. She sent a text but was then unreachable by phone, so I had to deal with the fallout of her punishment. She left for five whole hours. She was triumphant at her victory over the DC when she came home, but of course I was the one who actually had to deal with them.