Saturday, November 07, 2009

Broken teacup - Broken heart

Yesterday a teacup was broken at our house.

One of my Shelly teacups. Rare, valuable and almost one hundred years old.

But you know what? I actually don't mind that much about losing the teacup.  I keep the broken ones - sometimes they turn up here smashed - and one day I'll make one of those mosaic tabletop things out of all the pieces.  Its bone china, its flawed, it cracks and it breaks. Sh*t as they say, happens.

But this one broke my heart because of the way it was broken. 

Miss very-nearly-four was misbehaving, and was informed that if she didn't behave herself her new music box would be taken away for an hour.  She didn't listen and shortly thereafter the music box was perched on top of the dryer, out of reach.  After an obligatory five minute scream I thought she got over it and went to find something else to do.

Well I was half right.  She had certainly found something else to do.  She walked calmly down the far end of the house, picked up one of the few teacups she can reach and dropped it onto the slate floor.

Rotten little bugger.

Hubby are I are still so taken aback about it all that we haven't figured out how to discipline her yet. 

I think that she hoped that by committing such a heinous crime, mummy's head would explode and then out of guilt I'd give the music box back - and according to Growing Great Girls children this age can and will press their parents buttons like this.  We talked to her calmly and tried to get the story of why she did it, and yes she did say that it was because she was angry with me, but I'm not so sure I didn't lead her to say that. I told her that we'd talk about it the next day, and this morning before she went swimming she mentioned that we still have to talk about the teacup.

I think I'll probably remove a couple more toys, along with the music box for a few days, and perhaps instigate a more rewards based system of discipline - so then I've got something more concrete to take away if it looks like she's going to continue along this path of behavior.  They're both very interested in money at the moment, so I may start paying pocket money for chores, which also gives me a lever to take away the pocket money.

Suggestions welcome.

Sigh.

3 people love me:

Eleni Konstantine said...

Sorry for the loss of your tea cup. I'm not a parent and so I can't give advice on this. With my godson, I use the godmum card which usually means if he doesn't behave, I'm leaving. That usually gets his attention. Good luck!

Kate's Space said...

I was just lamenting the loss of one of my rare Noritake cups from post war Nippon (stamped "occupied" and all) when a girl friend sent me this to show me I'm not alone! My boys are wild men, and so far we've averted tea cup crisis... until today. =(

I can relate and who said the naughtiness ends with those terrible twos?

http://katesspaceblog.blogspot.com/

Kate said...

I was just lamenting the loss of one of my rare Noritake cups from post war Nippon (stamped "occupied" and all) when a girl friend sent me this to show me I'm not alone! My boys are wild men, and so far we've averted tea cup crisis... until today. =(

I can relate and who said the naughtiness ends with those terrible twos?

http://katesspaceblog.blogspot.com/