Recently, after I woke up both kids for breakfast, Michael came down and declared that he wasn't hungry. I said fine, but he had to eat before we left for Eden's eye appointment in the afternoon. I went around getting everything ready for our trip, and by the time I was done running around like a chicken with my head cut off, it was practically time for lunch. I made Eden some food, and I told Michael he could eat what I made him for breakfast. And then I resumed my duties (ha, duties). I had a floor to vacuum, so I wasn't about to micromanage his caloric intake. I told him he needed to eat by the time I got out of the shower, because by then it would be time to get our shoes on and go.
When I made it back downstairs, not only did he not eat anything, he had turned on a video game! My kids are totally allowed to watch TV and play video games. I have no qualms with quality time with Daniel Tiger and Splatoon. However, they aren't allowed to have any TV or video games until after lunch, when it's quiet time. I try really hard to run them around and get them worn out beforehand, so at least one of them might nap (Haha, I'm so cute. What is nap, anyway? Is that Spanish for "never sleep and DRIVE MOM NUTS?").
Anyway, after I took away the controller and told him to get his shoes on, Michael curled up in a ball and started sobbing. He friggin looked at me between his hands and said that I wasn't being kind to him. And THEN he had the huevos to complain that he was STARVIIINNNGGG. I know he's only five. But I was NOT about to let him pull that stunt five minutes before we had to leave. I know five-year-olds by nature can be very self-involved. But I'm going to nip it in the bud as soon as possible, so I don't accidentally raise a 40yo narcissist.
I told him at that point that it was his fault that he didn't listen to me, and that he wasn't allowed to blame me that he was hungry. And just because I took the Switch away didn't mean I wasn't being kind. We had to think about Eden and how we needed to be on time for her appointment, because we do the same for him when he has appointments. I have this whole "there's a difference between being kind and being nice" speech that I pull out every once in a while, and you better believe he got an earful in the car.
I'm not a total monster, though. I disregarded the "No Food" signs at the office and let him inhale like 4 snack bags of goldfish. I have no clue what I'm doing.
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