Looking for some perspective here. How would you approach this?
Today DS came home from school with a massive cone bag of sweets because it was another kids birthday. Their mum does it it every year. I don't like that as a thing but that's another story.
I told DS he could have 3 sweets (they were big ones, like a Refreshers chewy bar, not 3 gummy bears) because it was 4pm on a Tuesday and nearly dinner time. I put the rest away in the kitchen and got on with dinner.
I while later I went back into the living room and he looked like something was up. I asked if he was alright and he said yes. He was obviously feeling guilty because I've come down from putting him to bed and just found the empty cone of sweets stuffed behind a sofa cushion.
OK. Not the worst crime in the world. He's five. Kids like sweets. Maybe I should have hidden them better.
There's a recent trend here. DS has a tablet and he's only allowed on it for 1 short time after school and a little at weekends. He's Minecraft obsessed and finds it hard to put down, which has led to a few extra restrictions.
He's always been an early riser (no matter what time he goes to bed) but lately this has improved. So we thought. A week or so ago we discovered he in fact wasn't sleeping later, but had discovered where the tablet is kept (in my desk drawer) and had been sneaking downstairs st 5am, taking it, aying on it for over an hour, and then PUT IT AWAY AGAIN before coming to wake us up at 6.30. We would ask him if he'd just woken up, pleased, and he said yes.
Now, kids lie, and get away with what they can, and like sweets and co.puter games. Big deal. But something about this level of scheming really pisses me off! I mean, hats off for the sheer gall, and maybe a level.of I telligence (I have no idea what's 'normal') . But it kind of worries me. I don't like the fact that he clearly knows he shouldn't be doing something but does it anyway on the basis that he won't get caught.
All of this comes on the back of him generally being quite insolent and cheeky lately. He 's just being 5, but with a heavy dose.of answering back, sarcasm and sass (which he can only have learned from us! Class parenting there 👏)
I am going to ban sweets and treat until the end of next week, and tell him if he does it again a day out we have planned won't happen. Should I explain that the lying is wrong, and why? Or just metre out the consequences and keep it simple and tangible.
He is quite an emotionally intelligent kid and so.etimes I think I treat him as though he's older than he is . He's also an only child (not by choice) which is.probably evident from the amount of ha d wringing over so.ething so apparently small!