Bad behaviour at home, advice needed, please!

[katherinez]

Please help, How do you get your dc to behave without resorting to bribery. Have been using a varient of the pasta jar lately, but dont feel to comfortable with it tbh.
In particular, what would you do if your dc (4);

intentionally put her socks in the loo after doing a wee.

covered the steamer in hand cream?!

Ate half a tube of toothpaste.

Dc has been generally very good lately but all of a sudden seems to be pushing things to a new level of naughtiness. What can I do ?!!!!!

"what would you do if your dc (4);
intentionally put her socks in the loo after doing a wee.
covered the steamer in hand cream?!
Ate half a tube of toothpaste"

Probably not much. I would pass comment that it wasn't a great idea and suggest that she didn't do it again, get her to put her socks in the wash, show her that I had to clean the steamer or we couldn't cook, explain she could be sick eating the toothpaste. But besides that I'd put it down to a 4yo being a 4yo experimenting with things rather than naughtiness. Of course, I'd also personally be cheesed off because I'd have to clean it up and it's an inconvenience.

Is this really normal behaviour for a four year old?? Maybe I'm stressing a bit too much.

Well, it drives you up the wall at the time. and I'm not always calm at responding. But I've found it's not usually naughtiness and if you explain and talk to them it normally gets more co-operation and eventually passes.

Thankyou, will try the calm, reasoning approach! Well I'm sick of pasta jars, naughty steps, stickers and the like. Aghhh. Think my dd probably is as well tbh.