Yesterday my two year old was naughty, she threw some of her dinner onto the floor and my OH told her off for it.

A few minutes later she threw something else onto the floor and the OH was out of the room so it was down to me to tell her off....

Could I do it?

Could I hell!

As I was telling her off she looked at me as if I was a turd and as I spoke I felt that first horrible inkling of a smile starting.... I knew that if she saw the smile then she`d see it as a licence to throw the LOT on the floor so I had to quickly look away.

This happens a lot to me, the OH hates it and always gives me grief for it but I simply cant chastise my kids!
I start to grin when Im telling them off and when it comes to putting them on the naughty step.... I just cant do it!

Watching the two year old, for example, walking toward the step with the dignity that all little girls seem to have reminds me of a queen going to her execution and I have to admit that I start to fill up!

I DO try to be harder on them and not laugh or turn into a quivering 18 stone jelly when they cry but I cant help it, I`m a wimp.

So, tell me, do YOU have problems telling your little monsters off when they commit some crime?

Why are girls harder to tell off than boys? How do you stop yourself from laughing in the middle of a good old fashioned rant...?

Sometimes you do want to smile esp when they are only 2!!! But try your hardest to do it, otherwise think what it will be like when she is 12!!! Get it right now and the future, should, be easier!

Sometimes you do want to smile esp when they are only 2!!! But try your hardest to do it, otherwise think what it will be like when she is 12!!! Get it right now and the future, should, be easier!

A few months ago I was REALLY telling the two year old off because she broke my watch- it was my favourite watch and cost a fortune so I was really angry.... I managed to keep it up too for almost 30 seconds before I laughed.

I got a bigger telling off from the OH for that but I cant stop myself! I speak sternly and my voice starts to quaver and before I know It I`m cackling like an old hen.

I leave tellings off to the OH because she`s brilliant at it- she has lots of practise when she tells me off but I really have to start getting stuck in here because they KNOW I`m a push over.

I laughed out loud when I once read that Daddy's do the disciplining, not sure in who's house that is. Because all my experiences suggest all Dad's are a soft as brushes with the kids and us poor Mum's are the dragons.

My hubby does similar to you. Starts laughing. thankfully not all the time. Sometimes I want to laugh, but I know that if I do, she won't listen to me. Instead I wait until she's out of the room and then laugh quietly. The more you laugh the more of a game it is to them.

The horrible thing is when my OH says `Tell her off but DO NOT LAUGH!!!`

Those words go through my head as Im doing the scolding and you know what its like, the more you arent supposed to laugh the more you want to!


The times I had the cane at school because I thought of something daft while a teacher was telling me off.. Id be standing there and some idiot image would go through my head and next thing Id be shaking with laughter and already holding out my hand because I knew what was coming next.

I don't think this is just a Dad thing. It is hard to tell a toddler off. You don't want to make them cry but you just have to steel yourself and say No. You need to learn to pick up on the positive things they do and then at least you don't feel like big bad wolf all the time. Children are born to be endearing to you. If they weren't the human race would have become extinct.

Im getting a lesson now!

We just bought one of those red Poinsetta plants or whatever theyre called and the one year old is desperate to get his hands on it....

I`m bellowing the word "OFF!" and trying hard not to laugh... his face.... he`s so EVIL! :D

As the nanny i'm the mean one in our house hold :D

I tend to do a lot of the telling off, at which point all three of them run to whichever parent is closest to dob me in for telling them off. Luckily they support me otherwise it would be pandemonium!

I don't find it difficult to tell them off or put them on the naughty step but its not long before i crumble and we're having a cuddle and a chat about what not to do :love:

im exactly same, my little girl does everything she shouldn't and i have no crontrol over her.. she does sometime listen and isnt always naughty but most of time i burst out laughing when she ruins my make up which cost a fortune and uses my eyeliner to draw in her colouring books! grr there so cute and funny :) if i raise my voice that little bit more so she DOES listen, she will cry which results in me feeling bad and getting tears in my eyes :(

Im getting a lesson now!

We just bought one of those red Poinsetta plants or whatever theyre called and the one year old is desperate to get his hands on it....

I`m bellowing the word "OFF!" and trying hard not to laugh... his face.... he`s so EVIL! :D

Like father, like son :D

Like father, like son :D

Whoever HE was! :D


Thank god she doesnt read SF.

Whoever HE was! :D


Thank god she doesnt read SF.

But I thought your milkman was Ernie, and he's a gentle looking character! :hihi:

My lad is, I'm sure of it, taking the P - he's doing 'pretend snoring'! Who taught him that?! He must be copying his mum and dad (especially mum....).

Whenever I try and tell mine off I get a very definite NOPE :o cheeky little madam she is. I can't for the life of me think where it stems from :hihi:.

My lad splashes in the bath so much the bathroom is soaked - I just can't tell him off, his face looks so funny because he tries to get the water into his mouth at the same time :D

Serious head on now.....What I saw is that you have to tell them "That is naughty" rather than "You are naughty" and then put them on their naughty step (or however you do it - we put our lad into his travel cot - AKA The Cooler) for a minute for each year of age and then go in and get them again. So it's not the child being punished but their bad deed. If that makes sense...