Thursday, August 16, 2012

Good Intentions, Bad Parenting

So this morning, Willow asked if we can put up a tent in the living room.  This not being my favorite idea ever, I worked on heading her off--suggesting playing outside, or making a smaller-and-more-easily-dismantled fort.  Willow really really reheheally wanted a tent.  I tried again: "Sweetie, the tent was more of a special occasion thing.  Remember when you were really sick with a bad taste* and a high fever?  We set the tent up then, since we couldn't go do fun things like play at the playground, but you can now, so let's go do that..."

I know.  Alarm bells, ABORT, ABORT, ABORT!  But I am apparently deaf, because I didn't see this coming: "Mommy, I have a really bad taste, we have to set up the tent."

Well, crap.

I figured I'd better lock this down right now, and hopefully prevent years of "Mommy, I have a really bad taste, I can't possibly go to school."  So I said, "Now, Willow, you don't have a bad taste, and I know this because at breakfast you ate a truckload of food without complaint, and anyway that's not a reason to set up the tent.  You shouldn't tell me something if it isn't true, and you don't have a bad taste, so don't say that you do."

"YES I DO HAVE A BAD TASTE I DO I DO YES I DO HAVE A BAD TASTE!"

More crap.

"Okay!  Take a breath, sweetie.  Let's talk about this--we can...(internal sigh) we can set up the tent if you really want to, but that has nothing to do with you having a bad taste, and I'm sorry I confused you.  But I need you to stop saying you have a bad taste when you don't."

"YES I DO HAVE A BAD TASTE!"

Deep breath.  "Willow, if you keep saying you have a bad taste when you don't, then we can't set up the tent."

Wild screaming hysteria.

"Snacktime!  Have a plum, Willow.  And let's go read a story about playing outside!" 

Plum.  Story.  Smile.

"Would you like to go play outside now?"

"Yes!"

Whew.

Have I learned nothing about toddlers?  Nothing at all?  I KNOW that a lot of the time, reason doesn't work, I KNOW that Willow will dig in her heels pointlessly when challenged, I KNOW that ultimatums are only confusing and crazy-making. 



And lest we think this blew over with a little playground running and jumping, as soon as we came home, Willow said: "I have a bad taste let's set up the tent."




*Sore throat.

3 comments:

The Honest Mom said...

Oh so familiar. For us it was.... "My tummy hurts. I need the dvd player in my room."

Auntie Dawn said...

Oops about the tent!! Does her shirt say, "You are destroying my calm"? Appropriate.

Nikki Van De Car said...

It does! I'm raising a little Browncoat.