O.M.G...help...they dumped every food out in the living room.... - Page 9

[pookel]

I am sorry for not reading every single post in this thread.

But have you considered napping in the living room while they're awake? I find that my son is better behaved when I'm there, even if I'm not conscious. Also, you'd probably have noticed the mess sooner.

Luckily, I'm blessed with a neurotic toddler who cannot stand to see crumbs on the table and will start exclaiming "mess! mess!" until someone cleans it up (he even freaks out about getting bubbles on his hands in a bubble bath!) so this is one parenting crisis I hope to avoid ... at least with this child. I'm not sure how I would have reacted in your situation. I probably would have just sat down and cried.

[~Nikki~]

I think it's pretty unrealistic to post pictures of a mess and say it occured when you were asleep and not expect people to suggest that she not sleep when her kids are awake.

Yes, the only problem being that we don't really have a choice or control over when our children wake in the morning. The OP said something along the lines of "While I was sleeping in the morning...." It could very well be that the mother had not yet gotten out of bed, and the children woke up and destroyed the living room while she was still fast asleep. It has happened to me, and I co-sleep. Kids can be sneaky and quiet when they decide they want to "help" you by making their own breakfast and allowing you to "sleep in." (That was my daughter's explanation to an early morning breakfast mess - thankfully not as catastrophic as the OP's disaster!)

I think it's pretty unrealistic to expect mothers to start setting their alarm clocks for 3am so they're sure to be up in time before their early birds sneak out of bed.

[georgia]

Okay, everyone.....I think the OP has gotten plenty of advice in an effort to avoid an incident of this powdery magnitude from ever occuring again Please remember that we are each doing the best that we can in the unique circumstances that we find ourselves.

Please remember that the MDC User Agreement specifically asks that we:

Do not post to a thread to take direct issue with a member. If you feel a member has posted or behaved inappropriately in a discussion, communicate directly with the member, moderator or administrator privately and refrain from potentially defaming discussion in a thread.

In addition, this is a gentle reminder that:

MDC serves an online community of parents, families, and parent, child and family advocates considering, learning, practicing, and advocating attachment parenting and natural family living. Our discussions concern the real world of mothering and are first and foremost, for support, information, and community.

The GD Forum is for those of us interested in learning and applying Gentle Discipline, and supporting each other. Let's please focus on this important goal rather than second guessing at this point. Any further personally pointed comments would best be taken to PM. Thanks

[Pookietooth]

Lock up the food! Lock the kitchen up! :LOL Really, I'd hate to have that happen to me. We don't use flour or eat cereal, but anything we have is very valuable. I'd have a cow! Maybe having just one kid is a good thing.