Sunday, March 06, 2011

I should write a parenting book.....

The kids, Jason and I were at Red Robin the other night and Isaac asked Jake for a bite of his dinner. Jake said, "No." Not because he wanted to eat it all, but because he was being mean in that big brother sort of way (which I totally understand because I was mean in that big sister kind of way).

Isaac started to whine (he does it so well, I'm hoping there's a doctoral program for that).

I say, "Isaac, this is your brother's dinner, if he doesn't want to share, he doesn't have to........but...."

Jake's hands clamp down on his ears and he starts singing.

(WTH)

I ask him what he's doing.

"Mom, please, please don't make me feel guilty"
Meanwhile, Isaac gleefully chants, "make Jake feel guilty, make Jake feel guilty"

The four of us cracked up.

Jake gave his brother a bite.....without me screaming, guilting, or threatening

And this is when I realized parenting with sarcasm and guilt does work.



6 comments:

Rock Chef said...

Sounds like a great resolution!

We are one of those families that likes to pass things around at dinner - we get some really funny looks from others in restaurants as we pass pieces of food to each other...

tz said...

john, we do that too! But have never gotten strange looks...I think it must be more common practice on this side of the "pond".

Abigail Wise said...

hahaha! Sounds like your parenting technique worked out in the end :) Funny how things tend to fall into place like that isn't it?

Amanda said...

Okay, that was perfection. Both the event and the posting thereof :)

Well done!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

I am with Jake. Red Robin is too good to share!

Dodi said...

Welcome to modern Catholicism, honey! (And you SHOULD write a book!)