*Cafe: HN-dong Elegant Moms' Circle*
[Title: How to Guide a 4-Year-Old Genius with Lots of Aegyo]
Posted by: Dooguru
I’m the guardian of a four-year-old girl.
She’s bright, driven to grow, and deeply empathetic—but she often lies or behaves recklessly.
Because she’s ahead of her peers, she fully understands the intent behind scolding. However, she’ll act all cutesy or ask for hugs and pats as a way to wiggle out of situations.
In monts when she clearly understands she’s done sothing wrong, would hugging and comforting her still be helpful?
She’s already extrely sensitive to others’ moods, so I’m wondering how to correct her without making her feel intimidated—or risking her repeating the sa actions.
[Comnts]
IAmYourMommy: At four, they’re so cute it’s hard to even scold them LOL
How are the grandparents?
If they’re the strict type, so people ask them to step in as backup disciplinarians keke
My kid listens real well to grandma and grandpa too~~~
Dooguru: We only recently resud contact with her grandfather, and frankly, he’s never been of much help.
IAmYourMommy: Ah.. yeah... everyone’s got their own circumstances these days...
Top1PercentGeniusMom: That sounds like right-brain giftedness~ My kid’s advanced too so I totally get it 😭😭 Mine scored in the top 1% on the K-WPPSI~ He knows exactly how to lt us~ Super sly~!! Luckily mine doesn’t cause trouble though... must be stressful for you..^^
Dooguru: Yes.
OnJurim: Scolding alone isn’t enough. Firm discipline is critical!! Stop trying to “read their heart”!! These days everyone’s too focused on preserving their kid’s confidence, no one’s actually disciplining them, and that worries ;;
Dooguru: Why is your nickna “OnJurim”? And what exactly do you an by “reading their heart”?
OnJurim: Huh? It was on TV just now so I just used it...
Dooguru: Just a minor personal curiosity. Don’t worry. As I don’t even know what “reading their heart” ans, I don’t do it. Your reply wasn’t very helpful, so I’d appreciate other perspectives from different mbers.
OnJurim: Excuse , Dooguru-mom?
Dooguru: I’m not a mom.
OnJurim: What are you doing right now, Dooguru-mom? Are you trying to pick a fight or what;;
Dooguru: I said I’m not a mom. Is that a problem?
OnJurim: Then are you the dad...? Huh. Kinda makes sense, the tone felt masculine from the start.
Dooguru: I’m neither a mom nor a dad. I’m her guardian.
OnJurim: What is this ;; Are you joking?
Dooguru: Which part gave you that impression?
OnJurim: Wait... you’re talking about your daughter, right?
Dooguru: That’s correct. As written in the post, I’m referring to the four-year-old girl I’m raising.
OnJurim: Then what’s with this “guardian” nonsense??? I don’t know what kind of weird pseudo-parenting theory you picked up, but seriously! Don’t do that in front of your kid!! At four years old, a child’s whole world is their mom and dad! And you’re saying you’re not either??? Just a guardian??? That kind of attitude is going to ss her up!! Forget disciplining the kid—you need to fix your own mindset first!!
ENFPMom: Dooguru-mom, are you maybe a T?
Dooguru: My tier is S.
****
Cafe userna “OnJurim”—real na Park Mirim—slamd the Enter key after posting her long-winded comnt.
She’d just responded to the sudden appearance of the new mom-cafe villain: “Dooguru.”
It had already rubbed her the wrong way when the poster questioned her choice of the nickna “OnJurim.”
What, is this person so kind of On Jurim fan?
She had only picked the na because the last syllable was fun—but then that nerve-grating tone, shalessly insisting they were neither mom nor dad but “guardian”?
How could soone treat their own daughter like that?
Whether it was Dooguru-mom, Dooguru-dad, or Dooguru-guardian, she seriously doubted soone with that kind of mindset could raise a kid properly.
Just then, her daughter Harry ran into the kitchen and clung to her waist.
“Mommy, mommy, mommy, whatcha doin’?”
“About to make dinner. Did you clean up your toys?”
“Yeah! Where’s Daddy?”
“He’s gonna be late. We’re having dinner just us tonight.”
“’Kay. Oh, Mommy! Gwuru said she wants to see you tomorrow. You gotta wook pwetty.”
“Guru did?”
Guru was Harry’s classmate at kindergarten.
She was also the one Harry had been scolded for bullying, with the teachers asking the family to reinforce guidance at ho. Ever since, Guru had lingered in Mirim’s mind.
When she’d asked the school to pass along contact info so she could personally apologize to Guru’s parents, all she’d received was:
“Everything’s fine now, just please continue guiding Harry to avoid future incidents.”
“I still feel terrible. I really wanted to reach out and apologize directly.”
“Well... Guru’s guardian said it was resolved within school, so there’s no need for personal contact. They said adults don’t need to exchange apologies over things between kids...”
“Oh... I see...”
Even just hearing it secondhand from the teacher, she could feel the chill and distance.
She’d only heard that Guru used to live in an orphanage before being adopted into a good ho.
Is this really okay?
If it were any other family, they’d be calling nonstop. Here she was, pacing with guilt, and yet Guru’s household—where the child had been bullied—felt like dry, crumbling sand.
It made her wonder if Guru was really okay in that adoptive ho.
“Alright, Mommy always looks pretty when she goes out. Harry, co here. Help pack this.”
Mirim quickly stuffed the fairytale book set she’d bought for tomorrow into a bag.
****
The next day.
Among the mothers of the Chick Class, Jurim sat with a drowsy expression in a child-sized chair.
A tall man awkwardly folded into a preschool chair drew no small number of stares.
“Uh... I think we under-prepared for this!”
Chick Class horoom teacher Ms. Jung Yoon, pale as a ghost, hurriedly brought out a proper chair.
“Guildmastuh On, please sit here.”
“I’m fine.”
You really don’t look fine.
Surrounded by petite mothers, Jurim was, quite literally, crumpled.
“Seriously, I think you should sit properly...”
“Yes, please do.”
“Over here, Guildmastuh On.”
When the mothers {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} all chid in to urge him, Jurim finally got up and languidly settled into the adult-sized chair.
With an unbothered face, seemingly used to all the attention, he crossed one leg over the other and idly fiddled with his phone.
Among the colorful kindergarten decor, he was the single most out-of-place presence—his real-life impact far more devastating than on any screen.
Yoon knew the mothers couldn’t tear their eyes off the Guildmastuh, and decided she had to wrap this event up fast before soone’s ho life exploded.
“Alright, please sit back and relax. We’ll begin shortly.”
As Yoon headed to the front of the classroom, Park Mirim arrived late, lugging a heavy shopping bag.
“Hello. I’m Harry’s mom.”
“Welco, Harry’s mom. You can sit in the back over there.”
“Um, excuse ... did Guru’s parents co too? I really wanted to say hello and apologize for the other ti...”
“Ah... yes, Guru’s father... he ca.”
“Her father?”
It was rare for fathers to attend midweek school events like this. Most of the ti it was the moms. So it was surprising to hear that not both parents, but only the father had co.
“You’ll know when you see him. Over there...”
The man Yoon pointed to sat alone, legs crossed, looking at his phone.
When Park Mirim saw his face, she blinked twice.
“...?”
She turned back to the teacher with a dumbfounded expression, as if asking, Is that for real?
Yoon nodded, confirming it.
“Guildmastuh On Jurim is Guru’s father.”
This was news she’d never heard before—and it left Mirim reeling.
She looked down at her daughter.
“Harry... Guru’s family... why didn’t you tell ...”
“Huh? You didn’t ask, Mommy!”
Why would I think to ask?! Mirim clutched her chest, staring at her daughter in disbelief.
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