My son and daughter just moments before he sat on her.

That old cliché is true…Kids do say “the darndest things”.  I just didn’t realize until now, that when they said  “the darndest things” they meant “brutally honest, surprisingly insightful and horribly shaming”. Just yesterday, in the middle of explaining to my son why he can’t sit on his sister he said “Mommy, you’re talking too long.”  And he was right, I was.  I didn’t just say “you can’t sit on your sister because you can’t sit on your sister.” I had to go on and on about why it isn’t right to sit on your sister, how it makes her feel, how it makes mommy feel and how if we all went around sitting on people it would show that we have no… holy shit, I just dozed off writing that.  

I recognize now, that I was talking just to hear myself talk.  Discussing every detail of this tiny non-incident where no one got hurt and no one even cried was somehow soothing my own anxiety.  I felt like if I covered every possible angle of the scenario my teachings would spark his own little Ah-ha moment that would result in a future without sibling conflict.  What was I expecting?  Did I actually think he would gently shush me in the middle of my speech, take me by the hand and whisper; “Mother, you’re right, you words ring true.  All this time I’ve been so wrong, so childish.  I vow to you sweet woman, I will never again impose myself on another.  You have my promise. Now please, might I return to playing Angry Birds?”

For someone who fancies herself moderately intelligent, I can be such an idiot.  Over talking anything to a child (or husband, for that matter) always results in the same thing: lesson not learned.  Additionally, any conversation that prompts me to ask “are you listening?” has absolutely no function because of course, he’s not.  So when it comes to disciplining my kids, I have learned I need to keep it short & sweet.  I am going to refrain from dissecting and discussing every little nuance of a situation no matter how big or how much it affected our daily routine, regardless of who was involved and how his actions are a direct…oh shit.  I’ve done it again.