Life Lessons

It is ok to be a 5-year-old in WalMart and want everything you see.

It is not ok to throw a fit when you're told (reminded actually, as we told you before entering) that you're not getting anything, that mom and dad are just looking at tv stands before we go out to dinner.

It is appropriate for mom and dad to decide that you are not going out to dinner, that because your behavior is continuing to be unacceptable, instead you and mom are going home for pb&j sandwiches while dad and your brother go out to dinner.

It is appropriate for you to lose privileges, such as Playstation and Leapster, in response to your continued poor behavior.

It is not ok for you to run to the back of the van and try the old "I'll only come out if you give me my games back". Tthat meant you lost them for the remainder of the week, instead of just the next 24 hours.

It is not ok to have to be carried, kicking me for all you're worth, into the house. (I don't know if it's ok or not, but I had to suppress every instinct I had to not burst into uncontrollable laughter - for some reason this struck me as unimaginably funny.)

It is ok for you to slowly begin calming down. I appreciate that you apologized to me without having to be prompted. And no, your apology is not getting any privileges back.

Sometimes parenting sucks.

It would be very ok for dad to bring me back a very large ice cream when he and brother return. I could use that tonight.