To think that if people didn't pay their kids so much attention...

[nenevomito]

Children would be more independent and adventurous, and, more to the point, that the evil tortured genius to bland boring average child ratio would benefit greatly.

I mean, come on! How is your child ever going to get to where they can buy their own volcanic island staffed with pliant henchmen if you spend your whole days baking fucking cupcakes with them?

Never. They will grow up, buy a semi, drive a Prius and worry about the food miles generated by their cucumbers.

Seriously, just gnore them for a few hours and do your bit to push them to wards evil greatness.

At the very least bake EVIL cupcakes.

benign neglect.

Thats my parenting ethos

Ha! I'm a firm believer in leaving them to their own devices. How are they going to survive on their own if they can't even do some painting without me joining in with them!

I don't know, I try to ignore my toddler all day but he insists on talking to me and sometimes even tries to make me entertain him!

I've barely looked at mine today. Only 33% of my brood has pants on.

Having said that, he is getting quite evil....

I have been adopting this approach for 18 years.

I have to say it has finally paid off. I went to do the weekly shop and dd had tidied and hoovered while I was out because she was bored.

She is also working on becoming an evil genius. She has the first bit to a tee.

If i make the icing look like blood and add some icing bats can i still make cupcakes occasionally?

You have to put chilli in one and play cupcake roulette.

YANBU

A Prius??? Fuck.

.. worry about the food miles generated by their cucumbers..

Fecking cucumbers.

We make cake mix but just eat that. It never gets as far as the oven..

Quite. A few hours hanging around the chip van/ bus stop/ off license is more than enough stimulation.

I've barely looked at mine today. Only 33% of my brood has pants on.

At last! Someone else who adopts the 'pants are an option not a necessity' train of thought.

I am not sure if cupcakes with blood or bats on is enough, although the chilli idea could have promise.

How about suggesting they sod off outside for a nice game of 'crush the minions under the feet of terror'??

Why does letting your kids 'get on with it' equate to them hanging around chip vans/bus stops/off licenses?

I left my 5 year old to amuse himself with the contents of the craft cupboard today. I discovered, after noticing him sat quietly and looking rather troubled that he had stapled both a home made booklet and his T shirt to the table cloth

I think he had been sat there quite some time wondering what to do.

My two are in the garden playing in the paddling pool that has last nights rain water in it. Life is far to short. Let the, get muddy and explore.

My pre-schooler has spent most of the last two weeks sans pants. I can't be arsed to keep putting them back on.

Global - I think you have the start of something there. Once they start marshalling the beetles on a raid against the snail legions, you know you are moving in the right direction.

I've finally found all the other people who have pantless children. I am so happy I could cackle like a witch

Mine are in the garden playing fire fighters. This involves one of them having Control of the hosepipe. The others have put up a tent and are using the soil sieve as a makeshift BBQ.
DS bought a smoke machine recently at a boot sale, machine is placed inside tent to represent a fire, there is so much smoke that I am actually thinking hoping we will get a visit from a real life fire crew soon.
Anyway pretend fire person is in the back garden awaiting panicked call from pretend campers. They then run round to front garden with hosepipe to put out the fire.

Once fire is out they all change roles, move the tent and start again. It's kept them quiet for hours. I threw a pack of sausage rolls and some tomatoes their way at lunch time so I have interacted with them for about 30 seconds today.

More cackling here. DD2 has been charging around naked and in and out of the pool since about 10am. The middle two are out roaming the neighbourhood on their bikes with the rest of the children off the 'cul-de-sac' and only re-appeared briefly to request food.

They're playing out like it's 1970-something

I baked bread with mine this morning, but have ignored them since, so that's ok....right?

I don't want a Prius in the family!

This is my thread of the day

Very true OP, and I just did some calculations, it seem stat only 33% of my DCs have pants on today. Toddler DD is dancing naked to the Dora theme tune after playing in the pool and DS 1 has his guitar turned up to 11 and is playing some Iron Maiden whist I'm choosing to ignore DS2 emptying a full bottle of Fairy Liquid on to the Slip n Slide.......leave em to it I say.