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September 15, 2004
Big Boy Stuff
The WildChild is entering the Big Boy stage....potty training is progressing fairly well....and he's started getting in-home instruction by a headstart teacher. Which apparently includes the use of scissors. We were getting out paper & crayons for coloring time, and he insisted he needed scissors. So I scrouged around and finally found some child's scissors, but they didn't have the totally rounded tip so I was watching him closely.
He was doing really well cutting carefully, but was holding the scissors point up when he wasn't using them. I'm a firm believer that kids are most compliant when you explain the reason behind the rule at a level they can understand.....and that they remember silly things best. So. I said "Honey, you need to put the scissors down when you're not using them. If you keep holding them like that, (and here comes the dreaded Mom Phrase) you're gonna poke your eye out."
He gives me The Look....you know the one that says you're being so ridiculous, Ma.
I continue. "Poking your eye out is not fun. It would hurt really bad. Plus, then you would only have one eye and when you went home, Mom will say 'Where's WildChild's eye? He only has one eye now!' Then what would you say?"
He giggled and put the scissors down carefully.
There's a lot of lessons to learn when you're becoming a Big Boy. Some of them teach themselves. Like Sunday afternoon, he was tired and sleepy and I was trying to get him to use the potty & put on clean clothes before we took him home. Which of course resulted in a WWIII scorched earth no-holds-barred hissy fit.
His, not mine.
I finally get him on the potty with him kicking and yelling every step of the way. He potties, and then raises one hand to shake his finger at me & start yelling at me again.....and promptly falls in, getting stuck.
I damn near bit a hole through my lip trying to keep from laughing.
His yells of "You're making me mad!" quickly turn to wails of "Get me out Ma! My butt is wet! I want you!"
While reaching for a towel I tell him "I'm not sure I want you and your wet butt."
Indignantly he shakes his finger at me (and falls deeper into the bowl) "You get me out! Dry my butt off Ma!"
Which of course I did, but it was really hard to keep from cracking up.
Actions have consequences, which is a tough one for Big Boys to learn.
Some of them never do.
Posted by Rita at September 15, 2004 07:25 AM