Here’s my very best parenting tip.
“What are you going to do about that?”
Whenever your kid presents you with a problem, a complaint, a conundrum, this is the response that (a) teaches your kids responsibility, (b) shows your kids that you believe in them and in their powers of reason and abilities to problem solve, and (c) is a total, parental cop-out and time-saver.
I love it when being lazy also makes me a good mom.
Sometimes, I’m uncomfortable with the power my children ascribe to me.
I am omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
Never was that more clear to me than last night, when Aden gave me power over the entire Realm of Pretend by saying, “Uh oh, Mom. My pretend butterfly wings are wet.”
Of course, I responded with, “Wow, Aden, that sounds tough. What are you going to do about that?”
“You have to pretend dry them, Mom.”
“Why can’t you pretend dry them, Aden?” I can’t believe I’m arguing with my daughter over who’s going to pretend do something. My laziness has probably hit a new all-time low.
Aden looked at me like I was stupid. “Because the pretend dryer isn’t safe for butterfly kids to use, Mom.”
Shoot!
She trumped Lazy with Safety.
She gets smarter every day.
3 responses to “What are you going to do about that?”
I jut now noticed that when you look at my comments it looks like I’m an insomniac, time difference and all, look hilarious! (fortunately I’m usually asleep at 04.00 in the morning, thank heavens! 🙂 )
being outsmarted by your kid, love&hate it when that happens… 🙂 love this story, aden’s the best! can’t wait to tell it to my hubby when he gets home this afternoon (for which I’m quite desperately waiting I have to admit, sitting here with three sick kids, no car and loads of rain… 🙁 )
Shoot. You just need to be smarter. Tell her that butterflies dry their wings by gently flapping them, pretend or otherwise. No dryer needed. Just patience.