Sent nine year old to bed at 5:30......

[Lonelymum]

without any tea because he was throwing a tantrum and refused to come to the table. Unfortunately for him, I had just bought his Christmas present today - an unexpected idea and very expensive - and his sheer bad temperedness enraged me and prompted me to tell him I was taking it back to the shop tomorrow.

I am so angry with him

Anyway I can rescue the situation do you think?

Could you ask him for an apology tomorrow and if he gives one say that you won't take the present back? I take it he doesn't believe in FC then?!!

Yes he does apparently (I explained his bizarre logic on the FC thread) but we have always differentiated between FC presents and ours.

Should I go and see him and offer him some tea?

Surely at age 9 he is able to understand that we say things in the heat of the moment that we may not necessarily mean? Sit him down tomorrow and say what it was about his behaviour you found unacceptable and give him the opportunity to apologise.

If it were me I wouild be mean and have the present dangling as a carrot between now and Christmas!

What was it btw? I'm intrigued.

Yes offer him some tea but not what you were having earlier.

Bread and water, I say.

Is he awake? If it would make you feel better I would test the water by going in and see if he apologises

ooh yes, I'm also intrigued as to what the present is!!

It is one of those ludicrous presents you know your child would want if they saw it but which you are not sure of the play value or how long it will last....

a remote control dalek.

I am not sure dh will thank me for this - we were going to get him lego - but John Lewis was filled today with parents with more money than sense buying wildly extravagant toys for their children and I am afraid I got swept along with it.

It's only 6.45 for goodness sake! Don't leave this to the morning. Your rage it not his problem, just over an hour banished to his room is sufficient time to calm down for both of you I'd say. Yes, speak to him and offer a simple sandwich for supper...

my dh would love one of those!!

A remote control dalek - lmao!!! You will hate it by Boxing Day!!!

Oh all is OK again. I left to do as Rainbow suggested and heard ds1 howling for me fit to burst! I have never heard him like that, I was actually scared he was ill or something.

Anyway, big tears from him, instant apology (very very rare from him) and a pleading for tea, so of course I had to apologise for my temper and admit I wasn't going to take the present back (sorry QE, I just couldn't pretend) but his gameboy (the root of most evil IMO) has been temporarily banned.

So he is downstairs again and I am doing him some eggs and spaghetti hoops.

Sorry for the wobbly. I am alone this evening with my 4 kids and I really did see red I'm afraid.

I know it will be driving me potty by Booxing Day but I really really hope it is going to get him very excited. He is very good about being appreciative of presents even if they are boring things, and he hasn't had anything special since his gameboy 18 months ago, so I want to give him something special this year.

ah bless him nice to hear about a happy ending

Well handled LonelyMum... know exactly what you mean about everything hitting the proverbial fan when you're on your own with 4 kids.

Give yourself a pat on the back for a good job well done. Sounds like he knew you meant business.

RW x

Just make sure he sits at the table to eat it

Yes I really think he did. Normally I keep on at him, persuading him to come to dinner/whatever is the bone of contention but today, because I was so hassled, eating dinner, washing up, doing homework with ds2 and dd, I actually forgot him a bit and I think he realised he was going to have to back down.

Trouble is, because I raged to him about how great his present was and how sorry he was going to be when I sent it back, etc, he is now intent on discovering what it is! Me and my big mouth!