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Original poster

My 4 year old swore at me tonight!

6 replies

iamapixiebutnotaniceone · 17/03/2017 23:06

Just that really! She's the middle of 3 girls. My eldest two have an iPad for an hour on a Friday evening, they get a warning 10 and 5 mins before they have to be put away.
Tonight my darling little daughter told me that I am a 'horrible bitch' when it was time for the iPad to be put away. She has a short temper and can be difficult at times but no worse than any other child her age. This is definitely a first for her and I don't know where it has come from! Sad
She got a real telling off and sent straight to bed, I'm at a loss really what else if anything I should do. Confused

OP posts:
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GallivantingWildebeest · 17/03/2017 23:08

No iPad for a week. Then keep a real eye on it. Four!! Shock

Original poster
iamapixiebutnotaniceone · 17/03/2017 23:29

I can't actually believe she said it! I'm wondering whether she has heard it at nursery, I know it hasn't come from us!

OP posts:
Believeitornot · 18/03/2017 21:17

well she wont actually knownthe power of the phrase so I think you've over reacted slightly. I would have explained calmly that it's not a word to use.

I would also not have an hour of iPad. It's a long time! That much screen time turns my children into right grumps.

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Original poster
iamapixiebutnotaniceone · 18/03/2017 22:33

Oh she definitely understood, it was said with a real venom! iPads have been removed and only come out now for homework things. That hour was the only time it had been out for the whole week, it was supposed to be a bit of downtime but it has backfired. Sad

OP posts:
Armadillostoes · 20/03/2017 20:54

OP I am sure that she understood that it was a word to express anger towards someone, but she couldn't have appreciated that it was different to calling you a wicked witch. Still not great, but it isn't comparable to an adult or older child aggressively swearing at someone.

It does sound like the IPad is the problem. Some kids really don't cope well with them, whilst others are fine. But if your DD finds them addictive, tantrums when she has to come off and struggles to have a healthy approach, maybe she shouldn't be using them right now. I know that other posters will have stories of how their kids have lots of screen time and are thriving , and I believe them. But it's a question of working out what is right for a particular child at a particular time. I would be more interested in the cause of the meltdown than her using a word which you react emotionally to in a way she doesn't really understand.

Believeitornot · 20/03/2017 21:03

Well yes because she's probably heard it that way. But I wouldn't treat it the same as if it came from someone older. She's 4.

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