And the Parents Score!

Walked upstairs yesterday to wake Little Man from a very extended nap to find him already up and in our room. His giggling should have set off all sorts of alarm bells. Should of, could of, would of.

"I cah'ler mommy. Look. I cah'ler".

And on puzzles I've already done. Very good dear.

Then I walked around the bed and got a closer look. Not only had he colored in my Suduko book but he had also done lovely squiggly lines - down the length of the bed - on my SHEET. And he's proud of himself for doing it. Right up until mommy roared.

You would have thought the end of the world was beginning the way he carried on. Once he realized daddy wasn't going to bail him out he went with ignoring me. Until he saw me putting stuffed animals away and putting puppy on the bed. He thought I was taking them away from him. End of the world started again.

I am using this time to decide how I am going to handle the situation. While I do not believe in spanking, I'll tell ya, it was extremely difficult to resist the urge to smack him when I first saw what he had done and how happy he was with himself. Seriously kid. How many times have I told you to only draw on paper? The first time you drew on the dishwasher and the china cabinet, I cut you some slack because I had never told you the Paper Only rule. But that was months ago kid. You know better.

Determining proper punishment is not something I've thought a lot about. Time Out just doesn't feel appropriate here. Mainly because I still want to throttle him. So I decide to go the route my mom used.

Are you sorry? You know you can only draw on paper and you drew on mommy's and daddy's sheets. Are you sorry you drew on the sheets?

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH"

If you aren't going to say you are sorry, you will go to your room until you do.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH"

Take him by the arm and march him to his room. He's screaming and wailing the whole way but he went. He's learned going limp doesn't work. Mommy will just toss him over her shoulder or under her arm. So he goes with. I walk him into his room and tell him he will stay here until he says he's sorry. Kid goes and sits on his bed. I didn't tell him he had to go to bed. I told him he had to stay in his room. Love when he adds to his punishment all on his own. Man he is his mother's son.

He is very unhappy. Before I leave his room I ask him if he is sorry. He races out of bed to come over and pat me (nice touches - learned from daycare) and say he is sorry. He sits on my lap while I explain why he was in trouble. Actually I ask him to explain to me why he was in trouble and he did.

I wipe away his tears. Give him a hug and a kiss and remind him that I still love him.

We head downstairs, John carrying sheets to through in the wash. He's asking me which cycle to use. I tell him the hottest cycle with a cold rinse. Little Man hears cold but confuses it.

"Mommy, I cah'ler."

And with the most serious expression ever:

"But ONLY on paper".

He stated that at least 5 times over the course of the next hour.

Score one for the parents.