Tuesday, January 29, 2008

AUGH!

How do you explain to a three year old the dangers of potential drowning??
Not 15 mins. ago we were outside and things were going fine. I look up from my reading to make sure I know where he is and what do I see but him running up the hill BUTT NAKED! Normally this would be a funny thing, but not 15 min. ago, for two reasons. 1) It's not summer, and even though it's a nice day, it's still too cold to be naked outside. 2) The yard guys are here and one of them was in the backyard!!
OK, maybe I'm over reacting a little bit, I'll admit it, but after questioning him, turns out the reason he wanted to be naked was because he went in the pond! I could not see the pond from where I was sitting, but he knows better than to play in the pond, because he's fallen in multiple times, it freaks him out, and then he gets into trouble. But how do you explain to him, when he's seen his 10 yr. old sister playing in the pond, that he can't play in the pond because he might slip and bump his head and drown? I think that's why I was so livid, because if something had happened I couldn't live with myself.
I was also irritated because he's become very rebellious lately, and that's not something I tolerate, no matter how old you are. It was just how I was raised. And this just adds to the list of things he's done out of that rebellion. He doesn't like it when I come, because that means mom leaves, and so he acts out. Sometimes in full temper-tantrum mode, and other times by doing things he knows better than to do. I don't take it personally when he cries when he sees me, and it normally only lasts 10 mins. or so, and then he's asking me to play with him. But we have our days where I have to say, "You have to be nice if you want me to be nice."
So, no backyard for 2 days is my verdict. We'll see if I get vetoed when his mom comes home and I tell her about our day. Stay tuned for more adventures!

2 comments:

Crystal S. said...

How scary! But I am also LOL'ing because I have this image in my head of a bare-butted 3 year old running down a hill with his hands in the air. hahaha I think your method of punishment sounds fair. Wonder what the mom will say?

Christin said...

She's actually held up the punishment (and a punishment I'd enforced later after some other stuff happened while I was writing this post.), so I'm happy about that. You never know when it's not your kid.