SultanOfSwing

Well, that'd be their problem, wouldn't it?

N1cky

That's the thing with kids though isn't it, they are always your problem. Well, until they turn 18 and you can boot them out

tuxedocat

My Aunt would threaten the gypsies and when I got older it was the convent.

SultanOfSwing

There is that.

And they have it pretty easy, too, for the most part. I'd say maybe a little easier than I did (materialistically anyway, sue me), and I think I had a great childhood.

It helps that there was no such thing as a PS4 when I was a kid, of course. Give me a massive bucket of Lego and a bunch of toy cars and I was happy as can be.

N1cky

Ooh life is a breeze for mine too, most of the time she's a good kid, but my word when she loses it, she really loses it. Then she is so stubborn that she just keeps digging further and further in, and of course you don't want to give in. When she was 5 she would take forever to get ready for school (still does). I threatened to take her to school in just her knickers, to which she sat in the car and put her seatbelt on, and said ok, lets go.

Then was the time I literally moved her into the spare room so she had nothing but a school book to read. After not batting an eyelid, 3 days later she said, I'm really glad you took everything off me because I've been really enjoying this book.

Not much has changed, she can still out stubborn us

SultanOfSwing

Gahhh, when they turn the 'punishment' into something they enjoy (or just completely ignore it altogether), that's the worst.

Our son, for the most part, is straightforward enough, I try to pick my battles, though some things I just won't give in on. I'm concerned about our daughter though, she has the potential to be a complete diva when she's older.

petitefrancaise

Teenage boys are easy most of the time (imho) when compared to girls. My girls have had some horrible girls to deal with at various times (I remember your daughter's problem N1cky!). All those hormones, insecurity, social pressure to conform.

My youngest got "dresscoded" last week. She was wearing a high-necked, long-sleeved blouse which had the shoulders "cut out". Pretty modest and I thought the teacher concerned was being OTT. Daughter is not taking it lying down. She wore the same blouse to the class with THAT teacher and when she got pulled over again and asked what she was doing this was her answer " Teenage girls have a hard enough time with their body image thanks to the media that people of your generation own. When we actually find something that we think suits us, looks nice and makes us feel good it's a good thing. However, to be "slut shamed" for wearing it is very damaging to our self-esteem. I'm wearing this because I think it's nice and if boys/men have a hard time seeing my shoulders then that's their problem, not mine". She's planning on starting an "anti-dress code" club and so far, this particular teacher is being supportive.

N1cky

Yeah, empty threats don't work with mine. Real threats don't wont, or even punishment

Yep, mine barely ever acknowledges a punishment. After a week with no electronics, she'll sit for the following week reading a book, doing a jigsaw... anything other than watching TV, just to show it had no effect on her.

Good luck with your daughter, if they get the better of you you're screwed.

N1cky

Good for her.
My daughters school would have just called the police

SultanOfSwing

When our son has to go without electronics, he just comes and bothers us. Honestly at that point it's easier just to give him his shit back so I don't have to hear it anymore.

Hopefully our daughter has learned from her brother how not to behave. I suppose I could always just move into the garage or something.

N1cky

Bad parenting 101, giving in. That's me.

I've actually sent her to school without her phone today. Problem is she has to get the bus to the gym. She doesn't do the journey on her own, so I know she'll be ok, but still I'm sat here worrying about that now. She better have come around by Wednesday, so I can give her it back before she has to do the journey again.

She's probably learned exactly what buttons to press, and will be a beast.

SultanOfSwing

I see it more as choosing my battles than giving in. Though we have cut the breaker for his room more than once when he's really pushing it. Or I'll make sure I need to do a big download, or that the router needs to restart when he's in the middle of some online game and is getting shirty.

We take the phone away all the time. It never works, he always ends up doing the same things. I try to be nice, he still does it, I put the hammer down and the same. Damned if I do and damned if I don't. Nowadays I tend to just go for what gives me the most peace and quiet.

If she thinks that's what's going to happen, she's sorely mistaken. My patience is eroding away daily, good luck to her in 5 years when she turns 12.

N1cky

They're all the same aren't they. I think it's some kind of teacher revenge, and really they have lessons at school on how to be such shits.

Nothing seems to work with mine, so I'm constantly left with the feeling that she's won and I've just given in.

SultanOfSwing

We're in turn playing the long game. Little do they know in 10-15 years just how jaded they will be. It's all fun and games when you're in school but once the 40 year journey of shoveling shit for someone else begins, they'll wish they were back home under our rule once again.

And the cycle repeats.

N1cky

I never say 'wait until you have kids' to mine. Knowing her she'd not have any just to out stubborn me, and I want my revenge