I would have let her sit there in her pissy pants. |
Nope. Kids need limits and the sooner they learn them, the better for everyone. |
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You really think she did this on purpose?
Are you sure she didn't sorta have to go pee regardless whether big sister was playing or being at the playground? She couldn't hold it in and was too anxious and disappointed given she was without a buddy to play with and just released it? YOu don't give a lot of context about her personality. Was there remorse? Embarassment? Confusion? Autism sign? |
We’re not saying they don’t. But if the next trip to the park isn’t later that day or the next afternoon, it’s too far to connect. Consequences need to be clearly linked; sitting in per pants after you peed on purpose does that. |
My son was pretty straight forward when he had to go home because he had to go to the bathroom, he told me he had to go home to pee or poop. His friends all did the same thing. We would stop at the play ground walking home from school. Normally one of the kids would tell me they had to go to the bathroom so we went home. the number of data points is reasonably small but normally kids will just say "I have to go to the bathroom" and not a list of other reasons why they want to go home. But it is possible that the 5 year old needed to go to the bathroom and wasn't willing to tell Mom but I would guess that she would have a history of that and Mom would not have been surprised. One accident at the park is not a sign of autism. Consistent issues might be a sign of something but this clearly was out of the norm behavior, the OP post suggests she was caught off guard. I can totally see a 5 year old not figuring out that if she said she had to go to the bathroom they would leave the park and just turning to pee herself. My 8 year old recently ended a play date at a park by saying he had to go to the bathroom, turns out he didn't and the other kid was rejecting playing every other game and whining about wanting to go home. I can see a 5 year old going pee instead of working out that she just needed to say she needed to go to the bathroom. |
| This child is able to outwit you. She'll try something different next time she wants her way. You have to be able to take and keep control in that moment. |
Plus leaving early punishes her sister. You are both rewarding her bratty behavior in the moment AND punishing her sister by cutting short her play date. That’s giving her a lot of power. Suppose you’re going to the playground again the very next day. Now there aren’t other kids there so the sister gets punished again by having to go alone. Also, who is going to watch your 5 year old while you take her older sister to the playground? Are you really getting a sitter for this? That punishes ME. It turns an easy playground run into a hassle I need to coordinate with a sitter AND pay extra for. This is the type of knee-jerk solution that sounds good to threaten but is very impractical. It’s a rookie mistake. |
Not at that age it isn't. When she sees you walking out the door on the way to the park with the sibling, she'll get it. Kids who pee their pants aren't going to the park. Then shut the door and leave. |
Leave her with her dad and have fun with the other sibling. You guys need help to figure this out? Your kids are doomed. |
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I think I'd talk to her about it, get her to open up about how she felt and why she did it, tell her how it makes you feel and what you are considering going forward, tell her why it's not acceptable to manipulate others that way, etc. Then I'd ask for her input as to how you both should deal with this.
If none of this works well with your kid, try something else, but for some kids this would work well. |
| Leave 9 year old at the park, go home and change 5 year old, then come back. |
Good grief. You really want to make your life harder, go ahead. One way deals with the problem immediately and solves it. Done. The other way requires coordinating with another parent (or sitter) and creating a power struggle with a 5 year old all so mom gets the satisfaction of feeling like she’s in control the second day because you got manipulated by your kid at the playground. You really can’t figure out why one is preferable to the other? Your poor kid. |
I’m not paying someone to stay with a 5yo who owed her pants, nor am I leaving her alone. |
You’re presupposing that there are two parents AND that both are home just after school. |
And deal with a 5yo who throws a tantrum because they don’t want to return? Nope. Have a parent upset because their child was supervised (by me) and I left both at the park to deal with a 5yo tantrum? Nope. We have a solution we like. You just don’t like it. |