Saturday, October 13, 2007
Heartbreak Discipline
Tonight I had a moment where I almost cried disciplining one of my daughters. Sometimes being a parent is so tough! Beau and I decided to take the girls out to ice cream after dinner and to pick up a few movies at Blockbuster. So I made dinner and we told the girls up front that after they ate their dinner we were going to get some ice cream. Olivia was so excited (they don't get ice cream very often.) and while she struggled a little she ate all of her dinner. Taryn on the other hand kept saying she didn't want her dinner. We again told her that in order to get the ice cream she had to eat her dinner (we only bribe on occasion :)) she still refused, but we gave her until everyone was done to attempt to eat some of it. Of course my stubborn daughter didn't and when everyone else was done and it was time to get down we told her she had made her decision and she wasn't going to get any ice cream. Of course this didn't go over very well with her and she kept insisting that she wanted to eat her dinner. We stuck to our guns and told her that we were sorry she was sad, but that this was the decision that she had made. Anyway, so we go to Blockbuster and then head to Dairy Queen. As we handed Olivia her ice cream and Beau and I got ours, the look on Taryn's face was so heartbreaking. At first she was so excited because she thought hers was coming, but as we drove away her face turned to confusion and then utter sadness! I almost starting crying! I felt horrible that all of us were eating ice cream in front of her. She started to cry and little and just kept saying over and over, "I want to eat my dinner." and "Daddy, I want to listen". Oh it was so hard at that moment to listen to her and not want to give her my treat! But of course my steadfast husband kept it all together and reminded me that we had to stick to what we said and that this was a learning experience for her. I knew all of that to be true, but as a mom your heart sometimes just bleeds for your children. Hopefully this will have sunk in for her and next time she will eat her dinner.
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6 comments:
You are good parents! I am also impressed by Taryn--she didn't have a meltdown? You must be better than good--but I'm sorry you had to feel bad.
How sad! Don't feel bad we did the same thing with Ryan last night too. Everyone had iceream but him because he wouldn't eat his dinner either.
Yes I did forget the c in icecream :)
Go you! It's so hard to do, but you have to. Oh, they make the saddest faces.
That is so hard!! We have had to do that--if you are too full for dinner, you are too full for ice cream (or whatever it is!) Good for you for sticking to it!
We have had to do this too. Oh it is so hard. Courtney has been our hardest with getting to eat her meals and we have stuck to this rule too. No treats if you don't eat dinner. It is so hard when she doesn't get a treat and all of us are having ours, but she is getting the hint. Most times all I have to do now is remind her of what happens and she eats her meal.
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