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Feeling really guilty now!

7 replies

Lorelai · 08/01/2010 15:08

Last night, DD (23 months) was playing up a little bit, and at one point, when she had finished a bottle of milk, she deliberately through the bottle on to the floor, in quite a petulant way. I told her to pick it up and she refused and ran away.

I decided that as she was being deliberately naughty (for not doing what I told her rather than initially throwing it IYSWIM) that I would make a stand. I told her several times to come back and get it, she didn't. I then told her that I was going to count to 5, and if she still hadn't picked it up, that I would take away one of her toys (a playset thing) for the rest of the day. She still didn't, so I followed through and took it away. She got upset, and hit me, so I told her off for that too. After a minute or two of being upset, she said sorry for hitting me, then picked the bottle up.

She didn't ask for the toy back all evening, or today (I had put it on the dining table, where she could see it, but not reach it). Just now, after lunch, I asked her if she wanted to play with it, and got it down. She looked sad and said 'naughty girl' and then shook her head and said 'bottle up' (she tends to shake her head for negatives rather than saying it IYSWIM). She has also said this again since, and has also looked sternly at a couple of her toys and said 'bottle up'.

Was I too harsh? In one way it is good that she has obviously learned the lesson, but I am feeling really bad that it seems to be upsetting her still.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
pinchmeimustbedreaming · 08/01/2010 18:36

i usually get those guilty feeling after telling my ds 2.6 off.
i do feel that she is listening. if she can listen and understand the taking away of a toy then when she has said sorry you can explain that yes she was a naughty girl but now she is good she can have her toy back.
ithink there has to be a balance. if she isnt remorseful stand your ground. my ds is really pushing the boundaries atm but unless i want a real unruly brat for a son then i have to ride out the storm.

coldtits · 08/01/2010 18:37

I don't think this is still upsetting her, more that she is processing this new lesson.

Lorelai · 08/01/2010 21:22

Thanks. It does tend to amaze me how much she remembers, and she brings it up at the oddest times! I am glad though that she does seem to be making the link between 'crime' and 'punishment', as this will make things easier in the long run. I just need to make sure that I don't get soft and give in because I feel sorry for her! She is a good girl most of the time, but she is already showing signs of having quite a temper, which we are trying to nip in the bud.

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onepieceoflollipop · 08/01/2010 21:24

I agree with coldtits.

When my own dd2 (2.5) is learning a new concept she often repeats phrases/words over and over again in a kind of interested/fascinated manner.

Lorelai · 08/01/2010 21:31

Yeah, she does do that too, but it was the sad look on her face while she was doing it that almost broke my heart Still, I got a lot of mileage out of it this evening - every time she didn't do what I asked, I just said 'you want to be a good girl, don't you?', and she would nod and capitulate

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onepieceoflollipop · 08/01/2010 21:36

I once said jokingly to dd2 "x is going to get you" - x being a friend.

She burst into tears, I was only teasing, meaning that x was going to pick her up/cuddle her or whatever. For weeks afterwards she used to have a woeful look and say to me or dh "mummy said 'x is going to get you'" but I genuinely think she was teasing me about it!

Lorelai · 08/01/2010 21:42

they do learn how to push your buttons don't they!

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