Please help me think of an appropriate consequence...

[Sara]

My 6yo dd painted her nails last night (she had my permission to do this). I specifically reminded her both before and after that she needed to make sure she put everything away. She went to bed and apparently didn't put everything away because this morning while I was showering, she started yelling for me to, "Come, quick!" My 2yo had gotten the nail polish and painted her toenails and fingernails...and a good part of the brand new carpet in their bedroom! :mad :hissyfit :wow

Obviously I'm not going to let my dd use the nail polish for awhile and she did help me clean it up. But really, red polish doesn't really come out of light taupe carpet very well. I'm so angry right now that I can't really think of what I should do with this situation. Taking the polish away and having her help me clean it up are good. But I feel like there should be more. I mean, that's almost $1000 worth carpet. Ruined!

Okay, so now that I have vented, please advise. Is there something more I should require of her? I'm avoiding her right now because I am very angry and I don't want to say or do something I will regret later. Hoping some suggestions and perspective from you ladies might help me clear my head and calm down a bit. :)

Thanks!

[Katherine]

TBH, I don't think there's anything else to be done. Just seeing how upset you are, and seeing that the polish is not coming out of the carpet is probably making a bigger impression on her than you realize. My boys are much younger, but they have *really* remembered stuff that they messed up... (like drawing on my brand new quilt/sheets and bedroom carpet with a marker and ruining the upstairs hallway carpet by pooping on the floor and grinding it in by driving trucks back and forth through it :sick ) We had to cut out a portion of the upstairs carpet and patch it with scrap carpet and duct tape. Stylish! :tu :P When it happened I felt the same as you.. that just him "helping" clean up wasn't enough. I was SO mad and frustrated and I wanted him to *get* just how upset I was.... I reeeeeaaallly wanted to punish him.

I know it's SO hard when they ruin something expensive or important. You just want to :hissyfit
I think it's totally ok to let her know how you feel and to talk to her about the expense of the carpet. (You may just have to wait until you're a bit less emotional about it. ;)) You know.. that so easily could have happened with an adult. (like me! :shifty) How many of us have become distracted and thoughtlessly left something out that a little one shouldn't have? KWIM?

:hug I'm so, so sorry about your carpet! :cry It's possible some of the ladies here might know some tricks for getting the stain out? Maybe you should post a question in Joyous Homekeeping.

Did you take a picture of the 2-yo who painted her own nails? ;)

[Gretchen]

:hugs

I think you've done the right things. If you were going to replace it soon (which it sounds like maybe you aren't?) I might assign some special jobs for her to earn part of the replacement money. Other than that, I would remove the privilege of using nail polish for a while, and then only supervised when it's re-introduced.

FWIW, this site gives an idea for removing nail polish from carpeting ...

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lv_household_tips/article/0,2041,DIY_14119_3024151,00.html

Gretchen

[Sara]

Thanks, ladies! I kind of thought that anything over and beyond what I had already done would be crossing the line into punishment, but I needed to post because I was just so angry that I couldn't see straight.

When it happened I felt the same as you.. that just him "helping" clean up wasn't enough. I was SO mad and frustrated and I wanted him to *get* just how upset I was.... I reeeeeaaallly wanted to punish him.

This is exactly how I felt and probably why I wanted her to do more. Now that I'm calmer, I can see that I was probably just wanting her to "pay for what she did" by having some really memorable consequence. And you're right - it totally could have happened to an adult.

:lol about the poop in the carpet thing. I'm sure it didn't seem funny to you at the time (maybe it still doesn't seem funny!) but it sure does sound funny. Not the part abou having to replace the carpet, just the fact that they did it. You have to wonder what in the world is going through their heads sometimes!

Gretchen, I do think I would try to have her work something out if we were going to replace it, but it was almost brand new. That carpet isn't going anywhere for at least 10 years and by then I think her paying for it might have lost any effectiveness. :lol

Thanks for commisserating with me! :)

[ArmsOfLove]

:hug How frustrating!

I think this is a good reminder also that she's still littler and even if she promises to put stuff away she needs help from mom to make sure it happens. My 5 yo still needs that help and my 7 yo needs reminders at the time. :hug :hug I'm so sorry about the rug--I currently have in my living room the rug from my childhood room and it still has the nail polish that a guest dumped on it when their mom wasn't watching them :(

[MarynMunchkins]

:hug Goop off does a reasonably good job at removing fingernail polish. :) BTDT...(except she was 2, and didn't have permission! ;) )

[mom2threePKs]

Just another opinion about getting the polish out of the carpet...

The guy that cleans my carpet says that nail polish is relatively easy to get out but he has to do it. It has to do with the equipment and the chemicals needed. Don't touch it and he says that he can get it out even if it is several months after it happens. Maybe you could help your DD call around to carpet cleaning places and get estimates for having the spot removed.

Magan

[Quietspirit]

Maybe you could help your DD call around to carpet cleaning places and get estimates for having the spot removed.

If she were older (say 9 and up), the above would be a good idea. Since she is still very young, I would just call myself.

I think you handled it fine at this point.