"with some children, you just can't tell them they did anything wrong because they are too sensitive."

That's such bullshit. The kid sounds like she had ample warning that was she wanted to do was unacceptable.

It also sounds like she's never been told "No" before.

Just catching up (I had to take a couple of days off to take family members to doctor appointments). Thanks for the beautiful comments. Yes, we were interviewed by a British journalist a while ago. I didn't expect to make People magazine, though.

(And we sent the photos -- although that's actually Cat Ballou, better known as Bally -- "a" as in ham, not as in ball -- with Arthur.)

"with some children, you just can't tell them they did anything wrong because they are too sensitive."

So those children will probably not be told they did anything wrong, until they start their first job after college. Then what?

I find it amazing that the school did not contact me about it.

They didn't? Wow.

A fucking nightmare is what. We all know these people, right? At work. In relationships. Nothing is ever their fault, there are a million excuses/blames of others for any mistake/failure/rudeness/hurt. Mac has a lot of this despite it not being fed to him at all. He would sooner eat his own face than admit wrong and take responsibility for failures.

Also, given the popularity of The Toast here--did y'all see that Mallory Ortberg is taking over Dear Prudence? (I admit, I'm addicted to advice columns, and I know I'm not the only one here!)

Mallory Ortberg is taking over Dear Prudence?

No way! That will be excellent.

Nothing is ever their fault, there are a million excuses/blames of others for any mistake/failure/rudeness/hurt. Mac has a lot of this despite it not being fed to him at all. He would sooner eat his own face than admit wrong and take responsibility for failures.

How I raised a child like this, I'll never know. It is frustrating as hell and I don't know what I should have done different, not that I have a time machine to go back and "fix" it.

Took my car into the dealership this morning and had to have one of those dreaded "It's making a noise, but not consistently" conversations. Turned out to be a known issue, so I'm thrilled not to have to do three rounds of "No, it's still making a noise" and "No, I can't make it happen" and "No, it's more a clunk than a clang."

My own kid is super sensitive and falls apart when she gets caught doing something wrong - so we are careful in the sense she is punishing herself quite a bit so we don't have to come down on her like a ton of bricks -- but we don't back down on an announced punishment (esp a pre-announced one).

I just got assigned to chair a thankless task committee. What, I ask you, did I do to deserve this?! Speaking of punishments.