Do you think I make up these house rules to make your life boring...... DO YOU?!?!?!?

[poppiesinaline]

Do you think I make them up to ruin your fun??? DO YOU?!?! I yell at DS1 (aged 10)

Big loud crash while I am upstairs bathing DS2.

"What was that?" I ask

"Nothing..." came the reply. Then he gingerly appeared at the top of the stairs.

He had climbed up my free standing book case and leapt from my book case to the sofa. One of the shelves is now split

Rule no 1: Do not climb and jump on my furniture.

He is lucky DH has attached the bookcase to the wall or it would have toppled on top of him.

I have told him that if DH can not mend it, he will be paying for a new book case out of his account.

but now I feel guilty and mean making him pay. He did look very sheepish and very sorry and he did come and admit what he had done before I went downstairs to discover it.

Over to the MN jury. Should he pay?

Yes.

Because you told him thats what would happen.

Well, yes, take some money, but he won't know how much it costs, so you don't have to take the whole amount....if you don't want to.

He should certainly pay for a new shelf if that can be done.

LOL at "nothing". The most appalling crashes always result in the answer "nothing" in my house too. Sometimes I find the shards later

Do you think I was mean saying he had to pay in the first place ?

Oh NO, that wasn't mean at all. He is ten, not four.

Nah.

They need to learn consequences. 10 is old enough for that, I think.

I'll let you know when my two get to that age though

I was so cross. He knows my rules. pah!! I don't know what he was thinking. Honestly!! Boys!!

Well...in this instance the fright alone is probably adequate punishment, so you could condition it a bit (although that might mean "if you ever do anything like that again" and that's not a good idea to put in his head!) but no, I wouldn't say you were mean to say it in the first place.

Certainly. Maybe you could tell a quick fib about how much it cost though if you dont want to wipe him clean.

As in, certainly he should pay.

and now Ive got books stacked up on my living room floor. DS2 is going to love climbing over all those tomorrow

Yes- as cute and cheeky looking as he is Poppys, still yes! I wouldn't make him pay the whole amount but a bit towards it definately!

i don't think you were mean at all. one of the most vital things we must teach our children is that their actions have consequences. i wouldn't do it as a punishment, in the you've been naughty go to your room sense, because it is more about teaching him responsibility. he broke something, ok he didnt set out with the intention of breaking it, but through his (reckless) action, damage was done and that damage must be paid for.

the disobaying you - that is punishable.

So if i was in this situation, i would expect him to pay to replace the shelf because that is his responsibility and i would punish him for disobaying a clear rule by, oh i dont know, 24 hr grounding, or something!

ok, yep, I will stick to my guns. (Even though he did say "I am really sorry mummy. I will pay for the damage") - tug at heart strings.

Too right!

Climbing on the bookcase is bad enough but just so he could jump onto the sofa!!

I would be ursula the sea witch at that.

what is wrong with my italics?

italics

crying out loud. this message board is so technologically mediocre

No it isn't!!!

(You usually have to italicise each word, don't you?)

well that's ludicrous. How primitive

Is it? Better email tech then

Link to site that does it by phrase please?