How strict are you when it comes to the kids leaving food in their rooms?
While it can be annoying, and dirty and messy, does your kid leaving wrappers and boxes around the bedroom mean they get punished hard for it?
This mum told Mumsnet that she recently had her house extended and her children got brand new bedrooms. As a rule, no food was allowed and while her son has been keeping his promise, she found food wrappers beside her daughter’s wardrobe.
She wants to ground her for two weeks and take away her phone because of it. She wrote:
“It’s been a real battle with DD. Initially we had lots of issues of the state of her new room, makeup all over her new carpet, food stains etc. I’d say though, that we’ve now reached a pretty good place where she keeps it fairly decent and tidy (not really to the standard I’d like, but acceptable), still issues with makeup on floor, but I make her Vax it herself when it gets too bad, and I think this has made her a bit more careful.
“However, she keeps breaking the no food or drink (bar water) in her bedroom rule. I’ve just been up today and found an empty matchsticks box and an M&M packet hidden behind the wardrobe.
“I ground her ( including loss of phone) for 1 week per item I discover has been eaten in her room. She’s going to be upset when she gets home from school and realises that I found the wrappers and she’s now grounded for a fortnight, but I’m fed up of her constantly ignoring the rules.
“She’s 14 btw, and otherwise a very well behaved child, does well in school, works hard, lots of sport and music etc. She’s not a difficult child or a natural rebel/rule breaker.”
Many mums replied to the post saying that her punishment was too hard. One said:
“Honestly you sound crazy over this. You found one packet and a box and you are grounding and handing out harsh punishments. She seems like a good kid overall, so If this is the worse of the stuff she does then it’s not that bad.”
While another wrote:
“I think the punishment far outweighs the crime. Grounded for 2 weeks just because she’s eaten in her bedroom? That would be over the top if she had stained her carpet with the food. I think it needs to be a more immediate consequence e.g. extra cleaning jobs and no phone until the following day.”
How would you deal with the situation? Do you think this mum is being too strict?
