Thursday, April 7, 2011

Graham Cracker Meltdown (or why parenting a three year old can be exhausting)

Today on the way home from the gym I handed Turo a graham cracker to tide him over until we got home to make lunch. After his first bite, the negotiations begin.

Turo: “Can I have five crackers?”
Mama: “We are going to eat lunch when we get home. You can have one cracker.”
Turo: “Two crackers?”
Mama: “One.”

At this point Turo busts out with his 99%-fake-I-didn’t-get-my-way-cry. So, I calmly reach into the back seat and take away his cracker. And I tell him he can’t have any if he’s going to throw a fit. This, of course, ticks him off even more. The volume of his crying increases a few decibels, and he emphasizes his point with a couple of seat kicks.

He finally calms down by the time we get home. Once we are in the house, he declares, “I’ve stopped crying. Can I have my graham cracker?”

3 comments:

  1. It's that last part that proves you're a great Mama.
    Congratulations and well done.

    Also exhausted,
    ~V~

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  2. You took the cracker away? Right now that seems brave beyond my capabilities. Might have been able to do it last fall, but right now too exhausted to prolong any confrontation. Yes, bad-parenting central down here.

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