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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not feed the children until they clean up their mess?

55 replies

Branno · 12/05/2011 22:00

feeding baby so excuse typos! DD x 2, aged 4 since April and will be 3 in August. Favourite game is to ransack the kitchen in the am - eggs, flour, jelly you name it all over the floor. I was cleaning it up then thought "hang on - not on". They cleaned very well the other day when they were banned from ice cream. Today I said " enough, you made the mess you clean it and until the kitchen floor is cleaned no school, no food and no fun from me" That was at 6am - by 2pm still not done and an air of revolution. They are in bed for nap - aibu? Or simply breaking their spirit? Want to bawl and DH is away. Posting from LA + wonky times.

OP posts:
strawberrymewmew · 12/05/2011 22:30

Fabby, I hope you are right. Would be such a shame if this was a genuine post.

AgentZigzag · 12/05/2011 22:32

It is fifi Grin

I read it as the OP being at breaking point fabby.

A baby as well as a two and four year old, DH not there either, I'm sure I'd be driven to distraction and not thinking straight if it were me.

Maybe her reaction was as extreme as how she feels at the min?

MadamDeathstare · 12/05/2011 22:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fifi25 · 12/05/2011 22:34

Yes but i thought it was a mumsnet abbreviation, was actually trying to work out what it was and thought she meant hr laptop was wonky Blush

MadamDeathstare · 12/05/2011 22:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsPresley · 12/05/2011 22:37

Actually throwing food around the kitchen is probably the least of your worries, I'd be more concerned about knives, glasses getting broken etc

You need to keep them out the kitchen unless you are there to supervise OP

AgentZigzag · 12/05/2011 22:38

(I must admit I think I'd benefit from chucking some eggs, flour and jelly about the kitchen on occasion, sounds like fun, just imagine the satisfying splat as the eggs hit the floor Grin)

fidelma · 12/05/2011 22:40

You are mad.If I made that rule my dc would do it alot to get off school !
You can not withhold food.
You can withhold a treat.
Do not let them play that game.
They are babies.
You need some time to think.Send them to school.
This is not right.

manicinsomniac · 12/05/2011 22:40

I think it's worse to keep them off school than to withold food. Going hungry every so often = no harm done. Missing school = missed education, even in early years.

Wouldn't advocate either though.

Plain food and only educational activities would be my approach. No fun and no treats. And yeah, locks on the cupboard for the future!

fidelma · 12/05/2011 22:42

Op you need some help.Who can you call on?

AgentZigzag · 12/05/2011 22:43

Really manic?

Better for a 2 and 4 YO to get themselves off to school and learn than eat?

What are they learning that's better than a bit of toast in a hungry stomach?

BaronessBomburst · 12/05/2011 22:49

So, if OP is in LA, is that jelly as in Jello, or jelly as in jam?

CurrySpice · 12/05/2011 22:54

They are 2 and 4?! Shock

Why the fuck do you allow them to make the mess?

How the fuck do you expect a 2 and 4yo to clean properly?

And why would you withold food?

A troll surely?!?

AgentZigzag · 12/05/2011 22:56

Down our way we consider ourselves to be quite modern baroness, we have these big metal things people sit in that some teccy bod can get to fly, even to other countries Shock

'Tis the truth.

Maybe she's a brit abroad?

Or is tailoring her Americaness to fit a Brit forum?

Who knows.

AgentZigzag · 12/05/2011 22:58

Sorry, just re-read your post and I got the wrong end of the stick.

My answer should have been 'Does it really fucking matter?'

Apologies.

aldiwhore · 12/05/2011 22:58

YABVU....

BaronessBomburst · 12/05/2011 23:09

AgentZigzag 'Does it really fucking matter?' is the right end of the stick and also what I was thinking.

What the other end of the stick may have been in your first post is still confusing me slightly. Grin

AgentZigzag · 12/05/2011 23:21

I thought you were saying the OP's a troll because she's in America but using the word jelly instead of jello BB.

BaronessBomburst · 13/05/2011 00:13

Oooh, I see now.
BTW Given the choice, I'd rather throw jello. I don't think marmalade-type stuff would be so aerodynamic. Would mix better with flour and eggs though.....

saffy85 · 13/05/2011 07:36

YABU. For the reasons everyone else mentioned. Can't imagine your childrens' behaviour will improve if they're bored and hungry either.

Tortoiseonthehalfshell · 13/05/2011 07:41

A 2 and a 4 year old go to school? Even in LA that's a bit odd, I'm sure we're misunderstanding something. Possibly a fun class, or playgroup, but not School.

gkys · 13/05/2011 07:56

ok, YABVVU, thats abuse, also why do let them play this "game"?

HeadfirstForHalos · 13/05/2011 08:07

You sound like the wicked step-mother from a fairy-tale Shock

Food withdrawel should never be used as a punishment, it is a basic need.

I do hope you're a troll.

ChocolateTeacup · 13/05/2011 08:16

YABVU

Although I am going to guess that you are in bed, I hope your children got some food and that this is not real! Especially as you haven't been back since your OP

I have said no dinner until you tidy up but I help with the tidy up mine are 3 & 4 and dinner is only delayed by 5 or 10 mins this is after asking them several times whilst I am making dinner to clean up their toys

I would never deprive babies of food for that long it is truly disgusting

Reality · 13/05/2011 08:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.