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Original poster

Were we right today??

215 replies

CocktailQueen · 06/11/2011 19:15

DH and I fancied a lie in today so we asked the kids, age 4 and 8, not to wake us till 8. They can go donwstairs after 7 and watch tv/play, and we left them out brekky snacks. So they came to wake us at 8 and were being bonkers - jumping all over us in bed and fighting. We said, give us 5 mins for a cuddle and we'll get up. But they fought, kept coming back in, ignoring us saying no and stop, then ds went downstairs, took a tube yoghurt from the fridge and managed to spray it all over the dfining room/kitchen (he was pretending to be a rhino with a horn).....

dh was v cross. Sent them to their rooms. We didn't go out to wildlife park as planned and instead had quiet morning at home then went out for walk. Rest of day fine.

But wwy have done?? Were we too strict? Dh hates when the kids don't listen to him and I can see his point.

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NickNacks · 06/11/2011 19:18

I think you were a bit harsh, yes.

I think they were very good at leaving you until 8am and instead of rewarding it, you pushed your luck for 5 more minutes and reaped the aftermarth of that.

Chaotica · 06/11/2011 19:19

I think you were a bit harsh too.

wonderwooman · 06/11/2011 19:22

Agree with NickNacks

winnybella · 06/11/2011 19:22

Too harsh. You asked them to wait til 8, which they did.

bigTillyMint · 06/11/2011 19:23

YABU

Your DC did exactly what you had asked them to the night before. Like it or not, one of you should have got up and gone downstairs with them. They were excited about going to the wildlife park FFS.
Then you could have avoided the rhino incident (sounds like a great game if you are 4 or 8Grin) and gone to the wildlife park as planned.

fivegomadindorset · 06/11/2011 19:24

YOu asked them not to wake you until 8 and that is exactly what they did, so yes you were too harsh on them.

Iggly · 06/11/2011 19:24

YABU

You said 8. It was 8. How on earth can you punish them because you were too lazy to get up?

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 06/11/2011 19:24

Yes, I think you were a bit harsh. They left you alone for an hour (that's bloody marvellous, in my experience!) and you paid the price. Why couldn't a) you have had your cuddle in that hour and b)one of you got up with them, left the other to have the long lie, and alternated it next weekend?

fivegomadindorset · 06/11/2011 19:25

So no you were not right.

mumeeee · 06/11/2011 19:29

YABU. They did what you asked and didn't wake you up until 8. I think you should apologise to them.

exoticfruits · 06/11/2011 19:29

If you said 8 then it wasn't fair to change the goal posts.

gamerwidow · 06/11/2011 19:31

YABU they waited until 8 then you punished them for it because you couldn't be arsed to get up straight away.
There only 4 and 8 of course they were jumping all over you and being excited.

dycey · 06/11/2011 19:31

Agree with all posters so far....

rainbowinthesky · 06/11/2011 19:32

You were in the wrong.

essexmumma · 06/11/2011 19:33

YABU, you completely moved the goal posts. I think they did really well to wait until 8 - maybe next weekend get up an 7, make them a top breakfast and go to wildlife parkGrin don't beat yourself up over it.

paulapantsdown · 06/11/2011 19:39

well they did what you asked them and then you punished them for it
pretty lousy

Blu · 06/11/2011 19:45

An hour is a long time for a 4 year old to wait until seeing parents first thing in the morning. A-ges, wanting to seee Mummy and Daddy, being excited when they do, being excited about going out, having come to the end of their natural patience for spending time with you. Are you ablee to see your kids' point as well as your DH's?

Unkind as well as unreasonable. What's the incentive, now, to do what you ask in future?

Octaviapink · 06/11/2011 20:04

Pretty rare to see a unanimous MN thread, but my vote is for YABU too. I think your DCs deserve an apology and a special treat.

thisisyesterday · 06/11/2011 20:10

yabu

when you have kids you have to get up in the mornings, that's just how it is.

as it was you left them unattended for an hour and then still refused to get up.
you need to get your priorities sorted out

MyLifeIsStillChaotic · 06/11/2011 20:18

No you weren't right. I agree with the other posters saying that they did really well not to wake you until 8am, particularly the 4yo, and then you punished them when you moved the goalposts.

Agree with thisisyesterday - when you have kids you have to get up. You just have to. There won't be many of us who enjoy being dragged out of bed but you do it because you're a responsible parent. If you don't like to get up early every day (and 8am isn't early btw) then take it in turns with your dh to have a lie in. Don't punish your children.

AChickenCalledKorma · 06/11/2011 20:25

Weeeell - I think abandoning the whole trip was a bit harsh. But I'm going to go against the flow to some extent. I disagree that you were "pushing your luck" by asking them for another 5 minutes. You were, quite reasonably, asking them not to leap about all over you and give you a bit of space to wake up. It would have driven me mad as well.

And I totally disagree with "when you have kids you have to get up when they want you to". Yes, when they are really little you do, but it sounds like yours were perfectly capable of waiting until 8am. My kids have been getting up and getting their own breakfast at weekends since that sort of age. It's a great habit to get them into!

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 06/11/2011 20:29

She didn't ask for a bit of space to wake up - she said "give us 5 minutes for a cuddle", after they had already given her an hour.

Blu · 06/11/2011 20:31

"give us 5 mins for a cuddle"
You had been cuddled up in bed together all night. perhaps THEY wanted 5 mins for a cuddle and felt pushed out having done what they had been asked.
Yeah - it does drive me mad being jumped on, too but they are aged 4 and 8.

redglow · 06/11/2011 20:33

They played you up because you ignored them and did not stick to what you said. Really they might as woke you up earlier as you punished them anyway.

AChickenCalledKorma · 06/11/2011 20:34

She asked them not to wake her till 8am. She did not ask them to pound into the bedroom and start jumping all over her and DH at 8am precisely. Maybe it's just me, but I couldn't tolerate being woken up so aggressively and I think it's quite reasonable to say "OK, we're awake now, so please leave the room for 5 mins so we can carry on waking up in peace."

But then I'm not very tolerant in the few minutes after I've woken up. Which is precisely why we've trained our kids to go and feed themselves at the weekends!