It's just oranges. I need to let it go. Why am I so pissed off??

[NoDontLookAtMeImShy]

DS (8) ate 4 oranges a couple of weeks ago.
Bought some more, I told him not to eat 4, so he took the whole packet and said he would eat 5

He refused to put them back, I confiscated his phone he had a tantrum that I haven't seen since he was 3.

Roll on 3 weeks and I bought some oranges an hour ago.
We all like the bloody oranges.
I go up stairs to settle the baby, come back down and he's eaten all of them.

I was supposed to take him to the park for ice cream but now I'm so livid he's in his room and I said no to park and ice cream because he's been selfish.

But it's just oranges, I should let it go shouldn't I?

We were all looking forward to getting out and enjoying the sun. I'm just so pissed off with him doing whatever the fuck he pleases.

I’m just amazed that at 8 he a) can peel an orange and b) has a phone!

I’d be annoyed too.

It was a satsuma

It’s not a phone it’s an iPod

I really screwed the thread up by referring to it as a phone and an orange didn't I?

OrangeJustice, great name.

I buy food for the family to share. It doesn’t follow that everything is divided into quarters and consumed as such.

We all just dig in.

As I said. If it were something like tonight’s dinner that he’d eaten all of, I would think him selfish and there’d be consequences.

D’oh yes sorry I promise to rtft next time!

I've just remembered I wanted to reply to something a few people mentioned buy two nets of oranges.

I know for an absolute fact that he would eat both. He was being deliberately calculated about the whole thing. He didn't do it absently mindedly (that's not a word is it?) or because he needed the vitamin C.
He was doing it because he likes oranges and was being an arse.

We all just dig in.

Even if that means one person scoffs it all before anyone else has a chance to have any?

You don’t need to “divide it into quarters” but it’s greedy, selfish and rude to eat all of something without even asking if anyone else wants any.

Tell him not to be selfish also point out his teeth will rot with all the acid from that many oranges eaten in one go.
Worth a shot.

I think life’s too short, take the poor boy to the park for ice cream and stock up on oranges (some of which can be hidden). Punishing a child for eating fruit seems a bit harsh!

That's the problem though is it?

We can't all dig in. He stops that from being an option.

Again with the food hiding.
Weird.

“Punishing a child for eating fruit seems a bit harsh!”

Well, yes it would be. That’s not what’s happening

craving vitamin C this is the thread that keeps on giving.

Well done OP and Terrypratchett. He sounds like he has stuff going on with the move but blatant disobedience (whatever it’s origin) has to have a consequence. I honestly think some parents are oblivious to the fact that their kids at some point have to leave their fluffy nest where there are no rules and join the Human race. Consideration for others is too often missed out of modern parenting resulting in a selfish entitled bunch of kids who get a massive shock in school and end up really unpopular. No kid wants a friend who has to have their way 100 per cent of the time.

Yes it’s only oranges but it’s a principle. Parenting consistently takes time and effort not the easy way out.

Is it only me who wants OP to buy ten bags of satsumas and see if the lad can raise his game?? Go on, OP, we can crowd fund the oranges (and toilet roll) I just want to see who blinks first!!

(YANBU, he is being a toad.)

I think, just once or twice, you could use a marker pen and write names on the oranges "mum," "DS," "dad," etc. It would mean he would learn he was actually taking something from someone else (that's the leap he's missing). I think if you just keep buying more, and he keeps eating more, he might learn about sore tummies, but he won't learn about sharing,

I get where you're coming from OP and I think you handled it really well.
He needs to learn to respect others.

I’m torn because on one hand my DD (same age) and I are more of the “no no no, you have the last strawberry/cake/biscuit” variety. On the other, it sounds like a very regimented view to have of food. Things like fruit, carrots/hummus, babybel are plentiful here and DD can take what she wants when she wants and never overindulges. Whereas I was brought up in a more regimented house and my relationship with food suffered enormously as a result.

This is one of those threads where I think there must be two universes

I agree entirely and one of them is inhabited by people raising DC, particularly boys, to be the greedy DHs of other threads eating the family meal for a "snack". They will then tell the OP to hide food and manage around the poor darling.

But it's not about oranges. It's about his selfish and greedy attitude

I have 3 boys and there would be consequences if they were that selfish.

I agree, it's not about the oranges. It's the behaviour, smacks of spitefulness towards OP and the rest of the family. No-one wants to eat 5 oranges at a time. He's doing it to put the others in the family out. He needs to know that's not nice behaviour.

FFS buy more fruit if there’s not enough for everyone

There would be enough if the greedy little bugger hadn't eaten them all.