To feel guilty that my usually happy and bouncy 5 year old dd is crying hysterically because I followed through on disciplin

[pingu2209]

My dd is 5. Bright and bubbly and happy and bouncy, just adorable; usually.

Today I gave her a meal she usually loves to eat but she refused. It was bloody mindedness brought about due to tiredness. She is tired as her brother has been up 2 nights on the trot with a temperature and woken the whole house.

I said that if she didn't eat her meal I would not let her go to her after school club (that started at 5). It is her only after school activity, other than swimming. However, we didn't go swimming yesterday as her brother is ill.

She refused to eat it.

So she hasn't gone to her after school activity.

She is hysterical. Crying till she has running snot and a red blotchy face. Her whole body is shaking and she is pleading with me to go.

I feel terrible. I know she is tired. She may well be going down with whatever her brother has, but I can't bare to see her like this.

I feel so guilty. It is now too late to take her. I think I may have made the wrong choice.

InNeedOfBrandy Thu 31-Jan-13 16:01:25 Well I don't need your recommendation thank youhmm I would of asked for it if I did. No need for projection your husband is not my ds.

Well that's not really necessary! They just given their opinion on your post. You don't really think that you can ban other posters from commenting on what you write do you?

We've all been there OP! Hindsight is a lovely thing.

Food battles are never "won" IMHO. Ex-MIL once didn't want to finish her fried egg when she was small. It was dragged out for future meals until she ate it. No one won. Ex-MIL remembers it clearly.

I can understand reheating if the child decides they are hungry 30 minutes after refusing food though, sometimes they want to see if anything else is available.

Forcing a child to eat and serving the same food meal after meal if they don't is verging on abusive imo.