but I had to follow through.
I'll try and keep this short - I've been writing some rather long posts recently .
For about 2 weeks DS1 (who was 5 in September) has been wetting himself, once a day, and all but one times at home (the other at school). I've checked with him that it's not sore when he wees, and everything looks ok 'down there'. So on Tuesday I decided enough was enough, said that if he wee-ed in his pants again before the weekend he couldn't play on the Playstation with DH. He only gets on for a total of 4hrs (2 each day) a week, and only at the weekend.
Yesterday went really well - all be it at the very last minute, he did actually go to the toilet.
Today, just as I asked him to sit down and have his dinner at 7pm I asked him if he needed to do a wee. He suddenly went very quiet, so I asked if he'd wet himself - he admitted he had (and when I looked I could see a MASSIVE wet patcho n the carpet) and I told him there's be no playstation at the weekend.
Cue major tantrum, got off his chair, pushed it in and declared he didn't want his dinner, amid screams and loud protests.
Sent him off to the naughty step (in the bathroom - it's downstairs) where he proceeded to scream and shout at me, like 5yr olds who've just started school tend to do . Warned him on several occasions to calm down and stop shouting or he'd get a smack, and he decided to ignore me, and got louder and there was even mORE back-chatting - so he got a smack (don't feel guilty about that ).
Told him if he wanted his dinner, that once he'd stopped crying he could come back to the table and eat. He was still adamant he didn't want it. At 7.10 I told him that if he hadn't come to eat his dinner by the time the big hand had reached the 7 (7.35) I'd throw it in the bin and he'd go to bed hungry. He can't tell the time, but even with roman numerals, or just 'lines' for the numbers he's excellent with knowing where the big hand/little hand is pointing to - and I showed him just to make absolutely certain.
DS2 and I sat and ate our dinner, and every so often I invited him to come and eat his, he was still determined not to come back - despite me warning him it would go into the bin. 7.35 came, and I took it to the kitchen - STILL he said he didn't want it. So I threw it in the bin.
Cue even more protests "It's not fair" "put it back" "I want to eat it" etc etc etc. Thankfully that tantrum only lasted a few minutes, as I calmly explained why I'd done it.
I do feel bad for him going to bed hungry, but I didn't want him to think I wasn't serious when I said it.....I've threatened before - but never carried through with it.
Now I know most of you will say "you should never punish with food" etc etc, but please at least reassure me I was right to carry through with it....