Every time my daughter gets busy, on the phone or with her other kids, her three year old gets into the fridge and destroys food. She spills it, throws it, eats it opens and empties it on the floor and on her little brother. And how can she be disciplined? My daughter does not want to punish her when it comes to food, but the child is making a mess and destroying food.
2006-10-27 08:12:16 · 19 answers · asked by yeouxleigh 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
When my son was three he would go in the fridge and grab eggs then drops them. He also leaves the door wide open. I put a lock on the fridge. I bought it from Target their pretty cheap. Buy her one. Most of the time i leave it unlocked. But when I know that I have to be out of the room or something I lock it up. I have told my son time and time again that he must ask me before he goes into the fridge. Of course he says he forgot.
2006-10-31 05:07:48 · answer #1 · answered by Kim B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She needs to be scolded and sent to her room every time she does that. This is not about food, it's about disobeying, making a mess, irritating her little brother, etc. She better start the discipline now because even at 3 years old, the behavior is ingrained and hard to change. She should nip other bad behavior in the bud and she will be happier and so will the child. In the long run, kids like to have boundaries and rules, but sometimes the rules and boundaries have to be enforced, especially if they got away with it for a long time.
2006-10-27 08:17:07 · answer #2 · answered by phoenixheat 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The child likely doesn't make the same connection of going to the refrigerator & hauling stuff out of there as she would with meal times, food & eating. It's more likely that she's just emulating moms behaviour when she's preparing meals. Your daughter undoubtedly sets boundaries with her children as to where it's safe for her kids to go, so she should be able to set a boundary with the three yo & the fridge. I am sure the mom does ironing, but she wouldn't be afraid to keep the kids from playing with the hot iron, worrying that the kids would be put off wearing clothes would she?
2006-10-27 08:20:05 · answer #3 · answered by No More 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello,
Is this happening in your house? Do they both live with you? If this was happening in my home, I would have to put my foot down. Children will do what they are allowed to do. If no one sees fit to discipline this child than the toddler will reign havoc in the home. That's insane that discipline is looked down upon. My daughter is seven now and even in the terrible two stage, I never experienced that type of behavior from her. But I also would address her behavior at any given moment. I established a pecking order in my home and I had to let my daughter know that I was the mom and she was the child. If not all hell could possible break loose. Maybe you should talk to your daughter and let her know that her lack of discipline for her own child is going to come back to bite her later.
2006-10-27 08:18:39 · answer #4 · answered by Wife~and~Mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I understand that food and stigma's attached to it can cause eating disorders in the future but that's just plain ridiculous. Maybe she should tell her daughter that she's being punished for making a mess and destroying stuff and avoid the fact that it was food. The child needs to be disciplined somehow or this behaviour is going to continue.
2006-10-27 08:15:47 · answer #5 · answered by koral2800 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She can easily put a lock on her fridge door that way the little one won't be able to get into it. But, at three years old she should be getting a little discipline for her actions...whether it's Mom raising her voice and scolding her, time outs, a swat on her butt (not a spanking / beating...just a pop)...or whatever she needs to nip this in the bud now or she will have more problems later. She should also try to limit her phone conversations until she has a better grip on this situation.
2006-10-27 09:09:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put a velcro strip on the fridge door to keep her out of it. It's dangerous for a child to be 'in the fridge' and it sounds like it's getting expensive. It's a shame to have all of that food wasted.
Keep in mind that the child could also drop something on her foot and really hurt herself.
Maybe she could try occupying the 3 year old in another room with something so that she won't feel the need to go in the fridge.
2006-10-27 08:18:00 · answer #7 · answered by Doodlebug 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't understand why she wouldn't punish her child for doing something she isn't supposed to. It's not about the food. It's about playing with things she shouldn't. The child needs to be corrected. Make her stop and take a time out or give a spanking if you do that. Just remember, it's not about food in any way. It's about destruction, waste, and getting into something she shouldn't. It makes no difference to the child if it's food or legos.
2006-10-27 08:16:50 · answer #8 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have to agree to lock the fridge and it sounds like an attention things. My kids start to act up when I get on the phone also. She is at a good age to start time out for acting up. I give 1 minute for every year they are. So she would get 3 minutes. We have our children sit on the bottom step or the stairs and they aren't aloud to talk or communicate with you for the time they are in timeout. Our rule is if they get up or speak timeout starts over. It works for us because they sit do through timeout and have to apologize for not listening or whatever it was that put them there.
2006-10-27 08:17:57 · answer #9 · answered by puggas 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put up a gate so the kid can't get in the kitchen.
Stress to the child she needs to ask for a snack.
Have an area where she can keep snacks that are OK and teach the child only to take snacks from that shelf.
2006-10-27 08:28:06 · answer #10 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋