To think being naughty can be fun?

[brasty]

There seems to be an idea amongst many on MN, that when children are being naughty, they are communicating distress, or other negative emotions.

But what I remember from my own childhood, is that sometimes I was naughty because it was fun. And I am sure I have seen other children doing the same.
So AIBU in thinking that sometimes children are naughty because it is fun to be so?

I'm 47 and I love being naughty

I think it depends on your definition of naughty. Spray painting a willy on a shed - fun naughty. Punching another kid in the face - not fun naughty.

Most kids will do something like number 1 a few times when we grow up . Number 2...not so much....

Yes I enjoyed a bit of mischief as a child, my DD 16 months knows she’s not allowed to pull all the clean washing out of the basket but yesterday she did it anyway and ran away laughing when I caught her at it! She was thoroughly enjoying herself even though she knows it’s not allowed 😂

ThePeanutGallery has it I think. There are different versions of naughty. The harmless ones, yeah, fun. The harmful ones, no, not for fun without there being something else going on to prompt the behaviour.

Some harmful things can be fun too. Breaking into a car and driving it. Playing very loud music late at night. Hiding a neighbours wheely bin. All harmful to the person on the other end, but still fun to do.

Fun at the time I guess, I generally found that the eventual punishment for doing those things, and the realization that you hurt people, isn't so much fun, which is why you don't do them more than once....

Vandalism is not fun naughty, it is being a pointless little shit.

Yes it is being a little shit, totally agree. But sometimes the motivation is that it is fun.

How do you tell the difference though, in a class situation, between the child who thinks it's fun, and the child who cannot show their distress in an obvious and appropriate way?

We are in a crap situation with my son, because he does not come across as obviously autistic, so despite his diagnosis, he has not been supported, he has been assumed to be making the choice to be naughty, act the clown etc, which left him so stressed he could not attend school.

He's not the only one, if I had a pound for every time I heard about an autistic child unsupported in school because someone has made the decision that they were not autistic enough and didn't need support I'd have loads of money by now!

It's all very well to say that being naughty can be fun, and yes, it can be, but this is an assumption that leaves too many children unable to access education, because they are seen to be choosing to be naughty.

DS2 definitely thinks that freaking DD out is fun, because he'll always get a reaction.

Breaking into a car and driving it

Totally not what I meant about harmless fun.

I meant drawing rude pictures in the dirt on a van or something.

I am not judging individual situations. You have to know the kids to know why they are doing something.

So the 18 month old pulling washing out of the basket was being naughty because it was fun, but in another scenario the same behavior could be a result of a child being neglected and totally left to their own devices all of the time.

Vandalism, nicking cars etc can be indicative of conduct disorder, which can co-occur with certain conditions, a child growing up with no support, when it's needed, is likely to grow up disengaged with school/society.
It may seem fun at the time, but what has led that person to engage in risky behaviour in the first place?

You don't think breaking into a car and driving it could be motivated by the desire for fun? Especially if a group is egging each other on?
Obviously harmful and criminal.

Breaking into a car and driving it

There's being naughty and there's being a criminal, I suppose

I think being naughty can be fun but most children/ young adults/fully grown adults can tell when they need to make a responsible decision.

As a teacher, I know the difference between children who are being naughty for a bit of fun (the girl from my old class who likes appearing behind me and making me jump. She just wants to talk to me and is still young so doesn’t know to just say hi. I laugh every time so it’s become a game.) and the children who have underlying issues that mean they can’t control their behaviour in the same way (the boy in my current class who gets into fights and steals things).

@brasty I would find stealing and driving a car fucking terrifying ... even as a kid I wouldn’t have contemplated that as a fun thing.
Someone who does needs more discipline or more love.

Okay maybe extreme examples.

More innocent examples.
Swearing in a class with a weak teacher who didn't know what to do. That was fun.
Going outside the school at break time to play in the woods. Naughty but was fun. Woods were right next to school.
Sneaking some cider into school leavers disco at 18. That was fun.

Being! 👋

Yeah I think TWOCing might be overstepping the boundary of being a little bit naughty.

Some harmful things can be fun too. Breaking into a car and driving it.

WTF?

Bath

@BeingATwatItsABingThing hello my lovely.xxx

I should add, I have never stolen and driven a car.