Mistake in parenting #623: "Mummy thinks you're a psycho, and so does Daddy"

[Quattrocento]

I am hiding in the study away from our AP, who is shortly about to be leaving. There is another thread about why the AP is leaving but basically she did not get on with the children.

The DCs are normally well behaved but I thought it was appropriate to feed back to them that their squabbling with one another had upset the AP to the point of leaving.I explained that our AP was emotionally quite fragile, and that squabbling upset her more than it did us (we are deaf to it now).

Mistake. Big mistake. Much soulsearching from both infants. Much going through anger-denial-bargaining-acceptance.

Tonight, DD was refusing to do her piano practice. The AP quite rightly tried to persuade her to get up and do it. DD refused. An argument ensued - the first argument either of the children have ever had with the AP (as opposed to with one another) the culmination of which was "Mummy thinks you're a psycho and so does Daddy."

I am now about to go and do some serious grovelling

Lol! Hope the grovelling goes well... She is probably more emotionally fragile now than she was before!!

am totally on your behalf!!

Oh blimey - Hope your grovelling went down well! How much longer is psycho emotionally fragile AP meant to be staying?
We had a little problem back when our AP first joined us when she overheard dd telling me that she 'hated AP' - I knew full well that dd at that moment would say that she hated anyone (AP was going to babysit so dh and I could go out, the dc always make an enormous fuss that we are deserting them - even though they should be in bed asleep by the time we go). I heard AP just outside dd's room when dd said it and wondered if she would be upset.
Luckily the next day AP mentioned an AP friend who had charge of a 2 yr old who kept saying that she hated her..so I was able to bring up the fact that many young children say that sort of thing as emotional blackmail and didn't really mean it. (Her AP friend is absolutely lovely and treats the toddler very well, but toddler does not like bedtime)

PMSL at this - we've been there. It is wonderful how much more succinct the message is when delivered, honestly and without (much) malice, by a child.

Oh LOLOL how embarrassing.

If that had happened in our house DP would have spent the remainder of her stay humming the psycho music.

PMSL Quattro. Are you still hiding in study?

thats too funny for words.. its always funnier when its other folks kids showing them up rather than your own

oh no! good luck with that.