For Fun Monday, Penny at Dungarees Ablaze would like to hear about a birthday. OK, no problem. We all have them, right? Not necessarily.When my youngest child was 3, she was very stubborn and willful. When my youngest child was 3, I was very stubborn and willful. Plus, I was THE MOM! I would flippin' win. No 3 year old was gonna out-stubborn me.
That was the year that I learned to never threaten any consequence with which I was unwilling to live.
I do not even know what it was that Juls was doing that irritated me so. I know that I told her to stop and she failed to do so. I know that I told her, more than once, to stop and that she failed to do so. I know that I told her that if she did "it" again, I would take away her birthday.
She stopped, looked at me, smiled, and did "it" again.
I cancelled her birthday party. On the day of the anniversary of her birth, no one said "Happy Birthday". There were no gifts, no cake, no family dinner, no celebration of any kind, no joy. It was the longest day of my life. It turned out, also, to be a terrible tool to give a stubborn, willful child.
From that year until 3 years ago, whenever Juls would act a little less maturely than I thought appropriate, she would just look at me and ask me what I expected, since she was still 3 years old. Yeah.
So, 3 years ago, she turned 4. This year, I'm gonna SORAS her sorry butt. I am much too old to have a 4 year old - and she, at 4, is much too young to have an 8 year old!
17 comments:
Now that is harsh! I don't think I could have gone through with that one! No birthday at all???? Poor girl! I bet she learned her lesson though!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, she's so adorable and what a fabulous smile!
What a lesson, I personally think you did right by sticking to your threat. She learned! That's the main thing. Right?
Okay, did you feel badly? Like Forrest Gump would have said "Stubborn is as stubborn does". No?
I so remember this one! And, you told me NOT to do this threat, if I recall.
LOL....oh i learned all right..... i learned that I am STUBBORN and will always be so...but i also learned never say something you dont mean (except, "do that again and I will rip off your arm and beat you over the head with it". Mom never did rip off my arm and i, in turn, have not ripped off lil mans...lol)
We all did stuff like that -- there should be a class that teaches us all how to be parents...instead of letting the babies teach us.
You and I could go into business teaching a parenting course -- it could be like a driving school!
Instead it would be titled something like: All the Stupids mistakes to avoid them while parenting. Taught by parents who made them."
Have a great Monday Sandy --!!
Oh boy...I can't wait to see what you are blogging about when she's a teen!
btw, good job sticking by your word, it had to be hard...especially when she used it against you like that!
HA! I love it. Poor little Julie. But oh my gosh, what a cute picture! Lil Man looks just like her! Minus the sweet puffy sleeves, that is.
Oh, that's funny - and sounds like something I would do (taking away the birthday). My son learned early on not to jerk me around. I haven't had to respond with anything quite that drastic, though I did remove every single toy from his room and kept them in the scary basement (where he wouldn't go) for two weeks because he refused to do homework. I made sure there was nothing for him to do BUT homework!
Oh, that 3rd birthday sounds painful! I enjoyed reading about SORAS. I didn't know there was a name (or an acronym) for when that happened!
Very cute picture of Julie...!! Well written. I enjoyed it!
You absolutely have to follow through with the consequences so I admire you ~ but oh it must have been sooo tough to do~ looks like you have been forgiven even if you are reminded about it!
What a lesson for both of you! She is beautiful … and hopefully this will make a great ‘story’ to reminisce & perhaps even laugh about together one day down the road. This certainly WAS a memorable birthday cautionary tale.
Hugs and blessings,
He,he...clever child. I must be a soft touch. I never took away any birthdays. But, my sons were near to perfect until age twelve, and then the bad behavior appeared. If we would have taken away birthdays, they would still be twelve and not the fine adults that they are today.
Wonder where she got that streak (eye roll)
Blimey that must have been hard for you both. I bet you made up for it the next year though. :D
Yep, I did that too when Ziva turned five or six- no party, no cake and no restaurant. I was HOT with her for ongoing nonsense she would not drop for DAYS.
She didn't think I'd do it. The in-laws were furious with me for following through and secretly I cried over it.
She was told Happy Bday and did get her gifts, but the "real" treats never happened.
I'm going to have to ask her if she remembers that. lol
I love it Sandy...sounds like she outwitted you in the end!!
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