to give the bubbles to another little girl?

[Justforlaughs]

My DD2 is 4.8 yo and loves bubbles, but somehow they ALWAYS get "tipped". Tonight I have just given her a new large bottle from ELC, and put a reasonably small amount in a smaller bottle "just in case". She has come back in, within 2 minutes to say that they are all gone and when I've gone outside to look she has used them to "water" the plants. AIBU to be cross, and to give the rest of the large bottle to the little girl over the road?

Yabu, this is what kids do.

Fairy and water make good bubbles,I never bought proper stuff.

I just wouldn't give her any more from the large bottle tonight (as long as you made that clear when you gave her the smaller bottle). I think giving away the big bottle is a bit harsh.

And YY to the washing up liquid and water thing. That's what we do!

Yes, you are being unreasonable.

She's a child and it's just bubbles. Don't give them to her at all if you want her to be precious with them. Otherwise, it's a question of 'when they're gone they're gone and I won't be buying anymore today'.

Add glycerin, you get better bubbles.

Fairy and water with a pinch of sugar, that strengthens the bubbles.

Never knew about the sugar or glycerin!

If she ALWAYS tips, can't you supervise her with bubbles until she doesn't?

YABU & ridiculous.

It's the kind of thing kids do - why get so uptight about it? Give her how much you are happy for her to play with at one time and if she blows bubbles, great - if she tips them out then so what really?

Why on earth would you give them to someone else to use when your DD gets some enjoyment out of them, even if it's not how you'd like her to enjoy them?

... and if you know she's a 'tipper' why buy her a large bottle if it's going to wind you up??

or why not play with her - kids aren't always good at blowing bubbles.

Odd.

OK, so I won't give them away. I am really annoyed though, why ask beg for them and then just pour them on the floor? She honestly didn't blow any at all, and she can do it before anyone asks! I don't have a £5 to throw away and I never find that fairy liquid and water works at all. I haven't tried the sugar/ glycerin though.

I wasn't actually playing with her tonight as I have taken her to the park all afternoon, then taken her to a her trampoline lesson and when we got back I thought that just maybe I had better wash up the tea dishes

You get great big bottles of bubble mix in supermarkets for £1 , YABU. if you don't want it spilled/tipped you need to supervise her.

YABU - it's bubbles for heaven's sake, not liquid gold. She's playing with them in a different way from that which you expected, but still being creative and having fun, and surely that's the point?

Sorry - I didn't mean 'why don't you play with her' as in 'don't just toss her in the garden and ignore her 24/7' I just meant, when you give her the mixture why don't you play with her (ie supervise her) so she doesn't do it. Frankly, if 50pence worth of mixture keeps her happy for 10 minutes I'd be fine with her tipping it wherever she wanted

If you find that fairy liquid and water never really works, what does it matter if you insist she tips them on the floor immediately...?

give her a little watering can and a plasic cup with a paintbrush and let her 'draw' on the paving / path and water the plants with water save the bubbles for supervised play where you hold the pot. just as much fun tbh mine loved 'outdoor painting' with water.

I did think I might get a reaction if I suggested giving them away, but I am genuinely surprised to see how many people seem to think that it is perfectly acceptable for a nearly 5 yo to do this without any thought. I would expect it from a 2 yo, but I think a child of her age should know better tbh. waits to get flamed again

LOL - she's clearly a bloody angel the rest of the time if this is pissing you off so much Just enjoy that fact!!

I'm not saying I think it's 'perfectly acceptable' - and I would be telling her it was a waste of money to buy bubbles to have them tipped out and that I wouldn't be buying her anymore, but I just wouldn't be raising my blood pressure over it

I don't think its "perfectly acceptable" either but its not a massive deal is it? And in regards to "I think a child of her age should know better", that's only reflective of yourself and your parenting I suppose. She'd know better if you taught her better.

Maybe it's because she is a "bloody angel" most of the time that I am so annoyed about it, Chipping. I suppose it could be worse. (None of others were mind!)

Always happens. My son still tips bubbles and he is 8.

Decanting small amounts is the way to go, or I buy small bottles then once it's gone it's gone.

Or get a bubble machine, that way you can leave her in the garden and it will blow the bubbles for her.

How awful of you but then it's so easy to mete out punishments to make ourselves feel better and more powerful. If you want to get revenge by pouring the bubbles down the sink then obviously it's up to you, but it would be a shame to create an association in your daughter's mind between guilt/hate and generosity/friendship.

What will you do when you want your daughter to share her sweets and she refuses because she has an emotional memory of feeling horrid the last time something like that happened? Will you then give all the sweets away, too? At what point do you stop shaming and start affirming? I'm sorry, I'm extrapolating. Just think that to you it's a pot of bubbles. To her it might be more significant, especially if you're cross.

For all you know, your DD may love nurturing the flowers more than she enjoys blowing bubbles. That could be great!

Perhaps talking her through the natural outcome of this (i.e. no bubbles the next time she wants bubbles, since they're gone). Also, perhaps you could get her a little watering can and a pot of weak cold tea as 'flower food'?