Sunday 28 January 2018

My five year old stole my landlord’s precious ornament and then lied about it. Please help me figure out how to handle it.


We rent a room in a house and have free access to the common areas. The house is shared with the landlord, her two dogs, a roommate in the basement, and a new roommate who moved in today.When we first moved in, the landlord accused my daughter of going into her room and taking something. DD says she did not. Landlord later finds it in her room but insists that it is a different place and DD moved it. A few months later, she accuses DD of entering her room again and moving some crystals around. DD again says she did not. Before Christmas, landlord accuses DD a third time of stealing a barrette from her room. For a third time, DD denies entering the room ever. During Christmas time, I find two ornaments from the landlord’s tree right next to it on the ground with the landlord next to me. DD admits to taking them off the tree.Today, landlord comes in extremely upset, trying not to cry, and says DD took a very precious ornament from the tree that was made by her daughter who is now grown. DD tells landlord she did not take it, waits until landlord is gone, and tells me she did take it. Immediately, we tear our room apart trying to find it. It was a small eggshell holding a tiny babydoll with a teeny bottle and a blanket. I find the eggshell and the babydoll. The actual shell part is completely broken and all that remains is the inner film. I cannot find the bottle or blanket.Each time DD was accused of stealing, and when she took the first ornaments from the tree, she had things and privileges revoked. I don’t believe in whipping children, but my family is pushing me to whip her now and I am at a loss.I don’t know what to do.I asked her why she took it and she told me because she does not have a babydoll of her own. I’m a single mom without a degree in a high income area. I barely make ends meet. Otherwise, we would have our own apartment. She stole because I can’t give her the things that she wants.What do I do here? How do I make her understand that this is never okay? I’ve asked how she would like it if someone took her things. I’ve yelled at her in the past for this, which I’m not proud of. I’ve taken away electronics for a week. I’ve denied her going to play with friends. I put her in time outs. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know how to make it up to the landlord. I don’t know if I should ever believe my child again. She still denies ever going into the landlord’s room. I am terrified of getting evicted as we have nowhere else to go and no family anywhere close. I feel like a terrible, useless mother.Please help me. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2BAn3YU

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