She climbed up to get the Weetabix

[Bingoisthebestnotbluey]

Dd is 4,5 and very headstrong. She had Weetabix for breakfast-3, which was excessive to me. Later on she asked for more Weetabix as a snack, I don’t want her to have more as she has stomach issues with constipation etc & tummy aches. I got her a snack of strawberries & yoghurt and said there were tangerines & apples too. She threw a huge fit screaming and shouting that she wanted to have Weetabix and trying to knock them out of the cupboard with the sweeping brush. I took them out and put them up really high and she was shouting again. When she’d calmed down, she ate the strawberries and yoghurt and said she just wanted Weetabix because she likes it and that I should let her have what she wants 🙄I explained again why she couldn’t have more Weetabix and we’re only having them for breakfast. She accepted it and it was over (I thought)
Just making dinner before and she said she was hungry, I got her a banana & tangerine and nipped to the loo. When I came out, she’d put her wooden step up to the cupboards, got the Weetabix out and was in the process of putting them in her bowl! Aibu to have lost it?

she wanted to Weetabix

😂😂😂

That's pretty impressive from a 4.5 year old 😂

4.5 year olds don’t care about pocket money so that’s a pointless response.

Take the Weetabix out of it and consider her actions.
You told her no, and why, she waited until no adult was looking and did it anyway.
You were right to tell her off - this isn't a 'pick your battles' convo.
I assume she's at school full-time if you're in the UK. Children that have parents who don't expect them to follow the rules, or think it's 'aww, cute!' are often back in school in Y1 asking for help with their children who don't listen to them...

Oh op you sound like a great Mummy! Your DD sounds like a funny little character & I admit (not helpful at all) I did laugh at how resourceful she is! Even though you’re correct & she has to respect boundaries.

Can you let her ‘earn’ the pocket money back this week?

Imagine if she decides to spend her pocket money on Weetabix🤣

@StarDolphins 😂😂😂I wouldn’t be that surprised tbh

A telling off seems reasonable after you'd already said no.

If I posted a thread every time my kids were defiant I'd have been banned from Mumsnet years ago for trolling, so I think overall you and your DD must be doing OK, OP.

Wonderful absolutely wonderful,
I had one a bit like that. Unfortunately school smoothed it out of her. I had visions of Prime Minister. But conformity won through in the end.

Accounts Assistant!

I agree that she can’t have more weetabix as that’s the DRs orders.
But I think your snacks of fruit, yogurt,- they are ill considered because they tend to stimulate appetite not stave off hunger pangs.
Id be looking for something a bit more substantial with a bit of fat and protein in it for a snack when she is saying she is hungry. Or instead of three large meals a day, think about doing 4 to 6 smaller meals.
4yr olds have small stomachs and often a grazing eating pattern suits them better. They’re not like a regular 40yr old who can go 12hrs without even feeling peckish.

@Onnabugeisha She can have those or peanut butter, crackers/rice cake, cheese, toast, oats, carrots, cherry tomatoes etc…just she hadn’t had any fruit with breakfast or lunch, so I wanted her to. She could have literally anything aside from the Weetabix, even chocolate (but didn’t have any in)

Just keep in mind anything that is carbs…and that would be your entire list except for cheese and peanut butter is going to stimulate appetite and so counterproductive if a child is hungry and you are wanting to give them a snack that will satisfy hunger for a bit. Especially the items that are carb + sugars like crackers, carrots, tomatoes and your earlier items of fruit and yogurt.

"My nearly 4 year old does exactly this - he makes his own peanut butter on toast when he’s decided he doesn’t want to eat what I’ve prepared."

Excuse me for thinking your child makes his own peanut butter on toast...

Yes he can make his own peanut butter on toast, he is an able bodied four year old. Do I allow him in these circumstances - no. Does he attempt to - yes?

Clear?

I love when my kids do stuff like this! Makes me secretly proud of them. I’d not have punished her! Then again, I’d not deny my 4 year old a bit of weetabix if she was craving it that badly to be honest.

I’m confused by this. Is the PP suggesting she doesn’t believe that a 4 year old can make a bit of toast and spread peanut butter on it? 😯 Or am I misunderstanding?

I posted in support of OP saying my nearly 4 year old does this too, basically he gets hangry before dinner and in defiance has been known to tries and make himself PB on toast.

I clearly didn’t explain myself in adequate detail and have been twice insulted as a consequence. Apparently I “stand by meekly”.

I didn’t say I allowed him to or that he’s successful, but it’s MN and there’s an arsehole on every corner ready with an insult.

I said upthread that in the circumstances of the OP I don’t allow him to and therefore he isn’t successful in his attempts. But people are so excited to throw an insult they don’t keep reading.

@FUSoftPlay I’d make sure the toaster is unplugged and put away. If his toast ever got stuck, shoving the knife in to get it out would kill him. He wouldn’t be the first.

Wtf? Who said he’s unsupervised? Where have I mentioned my toaster storage arrangements?

He can wash his own hair too? Should I store the bath away aswell? 😂

Well you said: a-My nearly 4 year old does exactly this - he makes his own peanut butter on toast when he’s decided he doesn’t want to eat what I’ve prepared. Infuriates me but it’s really not a big deal in the grand scheme

The ‘infuriates me’ suggested he was doing this against your wishes.
‘Exactly this’ when discussing an unsupervised child taking food suggests you weren’t there.
… Now you say he’s supervised and you are there. Ohhh kaaay.

Anyway, it was merely a tip in case you weren’t aware.

FWIW my usually supervised child managed to blow something up in the microwave. Kids are pretty ingenious.

@FUSoftPlay forgot to tag. It wasn’t a pile on but you can perhaps see why you e caused confusion…

No more pocket money? I’d say no more snacking in between meals. She knows exactly what she’s doing OP, can’t believe some people believe that a 4.5 kid can’t understand this. I just hope they’re not parents.

The way you wrote it, suggested he actually goes to make his own toast, whilst you get infuriated about it.

There's at least two people who read it that way 🤷‍♀️
If you'd written
"he would go and make his own toast if he had his own way" or similar. Then nobody would have batted an eyelid.

No.

Just the way she wrote it was implyin she just watched in in exasperation as her 3 yo made themselves toast instead of eating what was offered.

But then she clarified after saying that no, he would try to do this and she wouldn't allow it.... Which is not what she wrote,so hence the confusion.

You might if she'd already had 3 and dinner was imminent