to cancel the whole thing

[ICanHearYou]

So, I have bought myself and the children tickets to legoland, two adult and 2 child tickets at a cost of over £100.

Since buying them, I have managed to purchase another set of tickets from Facebook for £20, these are valid on the 9th July.

Earlier on I put my bag on the sofa to get something, my son (nearly 4) tried to take my purse out of my bag, I told him very clearly not to do that and to leave mummy's purse alone.

I took a phone call, changed the babies nappy and looked round, son had gone upstairs, I followed him and he has emptied my purse, pushed 2x£10 and the £100 lego tickets inbetween the floor boards somewhere, he won't show me exactly where he just said he 'put them in the floor'

I am absolutely LIVID with him, he KNEW not to play with my purse and he did it anyway, he has RUINED an expensive day out for the whole family.

The thing is, we have these other legoland tickets, we have booked days off work to go and take them but I dont want to take him now because I think it sends the wrong message.

AIBU to give the tickets away to a friend who will be really grateful of them?

[Thenapoleonofcrime]

Phew, these things happen, all over now, have fun!

[listsandbudgets]

oh that's brilliant OP. What a relief. Have a lovely time

[ICanHearYou]

Thank you, its all for him really, the little one doesn't really know whats going on but he loves it there.

[aderynlas]

Im glad youve found them op and hope you all have a lovely day at legoland.

[ICanHearYou]

I completely agree with you then I am not cross with him anymore. I was absolutely steaming at the time though.

[ICanHearYou]

Speaking of rugs, I have just moved the rug in his room (preparing for floorboard lifting) and I have found them!

So relieved.

I think it is entirely appropriate to be livid at a child who is well aware he is in the wrong, has JUST BEEN TOLD not to play with mummy's purse who then goes and plays with it anyway knowing he is being naughty.

It is just another lesson for him in not ignoring me or messing with things I have told him not to mess with.

We are going to legoland though, Yay!

[Thenapoleonofcrime]

Get under the floorboards, I would for £20 and some Legoland tickets!

Seriously OP, I would be annoyed at a child who did this and give them a good telling off. Just as in the paracetemol example, I would say very firmly not to touch.

But it would end there and then I would put them out of reach. Three or four year old's don't have great reasoning capacity and you are likely to lose more things if you keep putting temptation in their way.

I would be cross at myself for having left them within reach- I lost an important item and ended up not being able to go on a work trip with a same age child and it was infuriating, but you can't stay cross at a little one about it.

I think it's fine to lay out boundaries though- don't go in my bag is something I've also said since they were little as my 3/4 year old used to go around 'collecting money' (stealing) at this age and it wasn't til she was about 6 it went into her head it was the wrong thing to do (she also had no concept of what money was so would take a 1p as much as a £10 note, just that it was desirable). The moral compass takes a while to develop.

[DoJo]

Am I reading correctly that you have two children? So if you don't go to Legoland, the other child will be punished as well? That doesn't seem fair. To be honest, I understand that he knows better and shouldn't do things when he has been asked not to, but it does seem like a slight over reaction to cancel a whole day out rather than just take up a couple of floorboards and come up with a more immediate punishment.

[aderynlas]

I understand that you would be annoyed op, just think to be livid at a little 3 nearly 4 year old for doing what he did is an over reaction.

[PeterParkerSays]

Buy a rug for the area(s) where he keeps posting things so he can't get them through the floor boards.

and enjoy legoland

[Thumbwitch]

YABU - you really should not have left your handbag in his reach.

[lunar1]

He is 3, he hasn't mastered impulse control yet. Be an adult and take proper care of important things.

My 5 year old knows never to take any tablets, it doesn't mean I leave packs of paracetamol all over. Childhood is for learning, not for being perfect.

[Humansatnav]

Well this is AIBU, so I assumed you were looking for opinions, not validation.

[ICanHearYou]

Human are you on the right thread?

[Humansatnav]

stopbeingsilly, the point being that 3yo's do stuff, they don't then grow up to be delinquent's because they are not severely punished.
HTH

[ICanHearYou]

lists that did make me laugh, thank you!

[MarmaladeShatkins]

"I think it's the people who don't follow through with punishments who are in for a rough ride to be honest"

You can punish him. But be aware that punishing him in a fortnight will be as effective as farting in the wind.

[listsandbudgets]

Totally understand your frustration Icanhearyou but calm down, punish him immediately and then take a deep breath and start taking up floor boards. As him to show you were he put them and hopefully he'll point you in the right direction.

If its any consolation, I couldn't find my hand bag at all on Sunday morning. After half an hours frantic searching I gave up for a bit and went for a cup of tea outside only to stumble over it outside the back door. Every item had been removed and scattered. Everything from the purse had been taken out and laid out individually. We've got CCTV and when I checked back, I discovered DS had got my handbag and carefully posted each and every item through the cat flap followed by the bag itself. I'd been having a lovely hot bath. DP had only noticed that DS (nearly 2) was on the floor quietly playing and got on with reading hte newspaper. These things happen

[stopbeingsilly]

And your point is, humansatnav ? Absolutely nonexistent, yes.

[Humansatnav]

My then 3 yo posted my cashcard, a set of keys and loose change into the video.
£40 quid to get it fixed so I bought a cover for it. I did not "punish" him. I shouldn't have left my bag in his reach.
He is now 20 and at Uni doing a policing degree.
And your point is, op ?

[ICanHearYou]

I didn't leave them, I answered the bloody phone! I do expect my 4 year old to be able to control himself enough not to mess around with my purse.

[mameulah]

Yeah, I can imagine you are really angry but he only did it because of where you left them. At three years old it is a fair enough mistake.

Give him a row. Get over it.

And enjoy your day out!

[bachsingingmum]

How annoying. The back door key went missing when my DD was a similar age. Eventually she confessed to having put it down the tube in the middle of the carousel shelving in the kitchen cupboard. We had to dismantle the whole thing to retrieve it. Why, just why???

[ICanHearYou]

I think it's the people who don't follow through with punishments who are in for a rough ride to be honest

[ICanHearYou]

When he is older and he really misbehaves I will punish him as I have today.