Thursday, February 23, 2006

Lesson relearned: No more empty threats

My four year old had to be drug out to her ride to preschool this morning kicking and screaming. I knew that she was not in the mood for it when she woke up and said, "Mom, let's skip preschool today." I want to teach her consistency and how to stick with something and not quit when you are too tired or don't want to go. So I make her go. I have a feeling that the teacher will tell me when I pick her up how awful her morning was.
So, I arrive at the preschool nervous for a bad report from the teacher. Teacher greets me and says,"Daughter was very good today!" I conclude that either A: teacher is lying or B: Daughter is only bad for me. Since teacher is Pastor's wife I decide that perhaps B is the best assumption.
I gather up the my daughter, the young girl I transport, and my son (who is lost in the toy area) and try to get up the steps and out the door when my daughter starts screaming about the mud on her shoe and I tell her "We'll clean it when we get home." She proceeds to throw a fit and sit down and take her shoes off. I say, "Please do not take your shoes off or you will walk out to the car with just your socks on." She continues to take them off. Surrounded by parents and the teacher who were all at the parenting class last night that emphasized empty threats and how we should NEVER use them. I grabbed her shoes, bag, car seat and walked out.
I left her (without shoes), put the other children in their car seats, waited for her to slowly walk (while screaming) out to the car and put her in the car seat. I was so angry I was shaking, or maybe it was the 14 cups of coffee I had this am. Anyway, she is still screaming at the top of her lungs and I drive away and tell her that I mean what I say....I continue to tell her how if she wants to be in preschool she will have to start acting like a four year old. And I ask her why she is good for the teacher and the minute I get there she misbehaves. I go on and on for several minutes and then I look back and she is sleeping.

The End
Rani

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