Bedtime threat

[namtab17]

Have namechanged for this as usually DH is a sensible, thoughtful and calm Dad.

DS (5) was acting up a bit at bedtime, taking ages to pick a story, changing his mind about who he wanted to read it (me or DH), picking a book then changing his mind, not getting into bed when asked, getting back out of bed to sort action figures on shelf, kicking covers off then saying he was cold ... generally procrastinating and not listening, as he sometimes does when he’s overtired after a couple of late(ish) nights and an exciting day out.

Dog started barking downstairs so I went to see to her and left them to it after warning that he was already down to 1 story for his nonsense (usually has 2) and there would be no at all stories if he didn’t settle down.

Let dog out, was heading back up stairs when I heard ‘if you do that one more time, I’ll shut you in your room in the dark for 5minutes’ DS had been kicking DH through his duvet, not hard, just being a wee bugger and trying to wind him up.

I was livid and called DH on
it straight away then we bickered for 2mins which didn’t really help the situation.

DS is scared of the dark, something I’m working on with him. I thought this threat was totally out of order! There is no way I would ever shut DS, or threaten to shut DS, in the dark. Ever. That’s not a method of discipline, it’s a scare tactic and a pretty nasty one at that. I actually can’t quite believe DH said it.

DH thinks I’m over-reacting but I’m honestly raging.

AIBU for thinking that’s a shit thing to threaten a small child with, regardless of the crime??

I'd hate for DH to post my worst parenting moments to be put to public vote on numsnet - I think most people have times when we say things before properly thinking about the impact on our kids, it doesn't make us cruel, just thoughtless.

This ^

Bran
Get off your high horse. I was angry and wanted to know whether others felt this was an acceptable ‘punishment’ as DH and I clearly disagreed and it was a big deal to me.

Forgot about the MN perfect parent contingent.

YANBU i too would be furious if my DH threatened my DC with something they are scared of, even worse that he was prepared to go through with it. How would he feel if he was threatened with something he was scared of, and he's an adult. Children should be able to depend on their parents to protect them from what scares them, not threaten them with it. I am outraged on your behalf and i can't believe there are posters on here saying they would so the same. And no, i am not a 'perfect parent' far from it, but i do respect my children’s rights to be protected and cared for, not threatened by an adult in a position of power.

Quite dogsmouth

I felt it was over-stepping the mark big time.

And for this criticising me for posting this, I name-changed, no one knows who me or DH are I’m hardly publicly humiliating him, I was looking for opinions, which many people do on MN - anonymously- in a variety of topics involving family members behaviour.

I have apologised to DH for jumping in the way I did, but it felt it was important to let DS know he would not be shut in the dark. He burst into tears as soon as DH said this.