Child One, Social Life Nil!

[MandyD]

Today when taking DS to the park I stopped to chat with a friend who was working on his car at the bottom of the road. I mentioned we'd be back in about an hour and a half. When we got back he was packing his tools away in a hopeful kind of way! He said "Wait there a minute..." while he took his stuff inside and when he came back out he said "Right, let's go for a beer!" So DS and I, pram, coats, park stuff all piled into his car and we drove to the pub. My mate went to buy a paper and while DS and I waited for him, DS said "I want to go home. I want to go home NOW!!" So we had a long walk home in the blazing sun.

Bah! First nice spring-like weekend of the year and I get deprived of a nice cool pint. Do your kids ever mess things up for you like that?!

lol! yeah every sodding weekend.

Sounds pretty normal to me Mandy (unfortunately). Not all that often, but sometimes I've had to leave somewhere early because ds wasn't being very cooperative. Annoying isn't it?? I know how you feel...

Yep, sounds familiar.

DD slept all round town but woke up just as I got into the shopping mall and then kicked off as soon as I stopped in the local bookshop.

Thank god for internet book sales.

Yep, but I don't listen MandyD! I put my life on hold 90% of the time for dd, so every now and then I do something just for me, and she has to bloomin' well lump it! You could try bribery next time, i.e, if you are good whilst mummy has one drink, then I'll buy you an ice-cream on the way home. Well, that's more of a compromise really, you are just having the one drink and your ds gets an ice-cream - sorted! Failing that, do what our parents used to do, leave them in the car with a bag of crisps and a coke!

My step DD does this all the time, not just for us but for her Mum as well !! She completely rules her life, DD dictates what she does, when she does it and who with.
It started when she was about 18 months, she used to scream continuously until she got her own way, the problem should have been delt with then, but was not. She's now 8 yo and completely rules the roost, with her Mum. We didn't pander to it then, and don't now, on the odd occasion she tries it on, and on the whole she behaves very well for us.
From experience I'd say, don't give in to it, they have got to know who's boss.
Our own 2DS's on the other hand, need not encouragement to go to the pub !!!!

Agree with Jac34 - my DS loves pubs and constantly shouts out everytime we drive past one!!

Stand firm - you need your own life, if you give into your child now - they will 'rule you as others have said. Easier said than done I know but there has to be some compromise.