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Should I expect my four year old to understand consequences?

1 reply

falstaff1980 · 16/09/2024 11:57

I recently had a one hour long stand-off with my daughter who refused to get dressed, saying she wanted her mum to do it (who had gone out and was waiting for us). I explained again and again to my daughter that she just needed to get dressed and then we'd go and join mummy, but either she was determined to win this stand-off or she was so worked up that she my words simply weren't getting through. At any point I could have just grabbed her and dressed her myself, and this is what I'd have had to do if we'd been in a hurry, but I was determined that she should dress herself and so spent an hour watching her strop and repeating that all she needed to do was get dressed. Eventually she grudgingly did get dressed, but what a waste of an hour. Did I do the right thing? Or should I have just grabbed her and dressed her after 5 minutes of her refusing?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PolaroidPrincess · 16/09/2024 15:35

An hour is an awful long time for a 4 year old to strop for. Does she normally not calm down within a few minutes?

I'm sure you have done but did you try the trick of offering her two outfits that you'd previously chosen and let her decide which one she wanted giving her the illusion of being in control?

If she's just started school though she may be tired and overwhelmed and just needed you to help her put her clothes on Flowers

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