I never thought I'd say/hear these things...

Growing up, didn't we all say things like, "I'll NEVER say that to MY children" and "I'll never be THAT kind of parent". Well, guess what? Reality sets in when you have children of your own.

When Cooper asks me to do something for him that he is completely capable of doing himself, I often joke, "Are your legs broken?" (Something my parents used to say.) So this morning, Cooper (from the couch) hollered at me (in the bathroom), "Mom, I'm done!" (With breakfast I served him on the couch...something I probably vowed I would let my kids do because it was allowed growing up!) I said, "So? Bring your plate to the kitchen counter then." His reply? "I can't. My legs are broken!" (Out of his sight, I couldn't help but crack a smile.) And then I went and got his plate.

Last night I served supper, knowing that Cooper didn't like the main dish. I only put 2 bites on his plate, determined to enforce that everyone eats what's being served or no snacks later (something that was sometimes torturous as a child and is A LOT harder to make a rule that one might think!). Right off the bat, he said "Mom, I don't like that." I explained the consequences of not eating it, and he didn't argue. Carver was done eating supper and getting into the tub when Cooper asked if he could also get in. I said that was fine, and I would leave his supper on the table because again, there would be no snacks until it was gone. When they got out of the tub, Carver asked for fruit snacks and I told Cooper to get his supper finished so they could both have them. He hurried to the table and finished everything except the main dish. He whined a few times about what it was and finally said, "Mom, can I just have a meatball for supper?" (Knowing they were in the fridge from the night before.) I finally agreed to it, warmed up a meatball, and served fruit snacks when the "supper" was gone. (Oh, and of course I ate those two bites of mashed potato casserole myself...I always was that kid who "rescued" others from "cruel and unusual punishment" :) Maybe tonight we'll work on enforcing that rule...oh, and before school Cooper already asked, "Can we have meatballs for supper tonight?" (Hoping casserole wasn't on his plate again tonight!) HA!