Rewards and Punishments 6yr old logic

Discussing punishments and bribery in the car on the way home......

Ellie "I want a punishment. No wait a bribe. If we don't go on moshi monsters for a whole day you get us ice cream. Bribery is much better than punishment."

Me "I'm not going to use bribery to get you to do or not do something because then you will never do anything without a reward or because you want to"

Ellie almost crying "Nooooo, I want you to bribe me"

Me "Your reward is the knowledge that you are doing something through your own choice and we have a happy family because we are all helping each other"

Maia pipes up "If I don't go to the bank tomorrow, you'll get me ice cream, that's a bribe"

Me "We are not going to the bank tomorrow"

Ellie "So we can get ice cream then!"

Meltdown - because I won't bribe!

Losing the plot - huge bedtime one

Breastfeeding - owie bitey

Nursery or behave!

I've just remembered that during the meeting with school nurse and acting head, they kept offering Maia the opportunity to go next door and play in the nursery. I'd already asked her before we went in if she wanted to go to the nursery whilst I was in the meeting and I'd pick her up after. So I already knew she didn't want to go. She kept saying no to them. To each thing they suggested or offered throughout the meeting as a way to entice her into nursery she stood up for herself and said no. There were possibly about four maybe five different things (maybe more, it was  said in a lot of different ways)

They are playing party games - They are singing - Ooooooo doesn't it sound fun - don't you want to go?  La la la la la la la what else can we say to make you go away ♪♫ ♪♫

I'm ashamed to realise now that even I got caught up in the whole thing and when she started doing her I'm hungry I'm hungry I'm hungry repetition game she SO loves to do I suggested she could go get a snack at the nursery.  So thats when they were impressed when I said to Maia 'you can either sit here quietly or you can go through to the nursery'

I can't believe I used nursery as a threat and punishment (since we all knew quite clearly that she didn't want to go) and that was ok!!!

There is something ironic or funny about it. I think. Somewhere in there. There must be. Otherwise it's just sad. Almost as sad as Ellie's introduction to nursery

Meltdown - none its the weekend

Losing the Plot - none its the weekend

Breastfeeding - all weekend!