Thursday, February 12, 2009

I want...

The other day, on the way home, Eli spotted Lion's Choice, home of the .14 ice cream cone.

"I wanna ice cream cone!" came the demand from the backseat.

Uh, uh. Not that I was planning on getting him an ice cream cone, but that kind of ask certainly wasn't going to move the decision in his favor.

"Eli, we're not getting an ice cream cone today," I said calmly.
"But I WANT an ice cream!"
"I know you do. But we're not getting one today."

The light is red, so we're stuck here, his window facing Lion's Choice. I wondered if I should explain to him that part of the reason I was saying no is because of the way he asked. But he seemed grumpy, and I was pretty sure it would land on deaf ears.

"But I WANT to have an ice cream!" he demanded in a louder voice.

Oh boy, here we go. There is a melt-down in his near future. How can I explain to him that we don't always get the things we want? When we he understand the concept that "wanting" does not equal "having"?

Then, an idea. In a slightly whiney, demanding voice, I said, "I want a GIANT stuffed teddy bear!"

He looked surprised, paused, and explained in a matter of fact tone, "But they don't have teddy bears there."

"But I WANT a giant teddy bear!"
"But mama, they don't HAVE giant teddy bears at Lion's Choice. You could get an ice cream there, or a hot dog, or a chocolate milk."
"But I WANT a GIANT stuffed teddy bear!"
"They don't have them there mama," he said with slight frustration.
"But I WANT a giant teddy bear!"

He was quiet, and I could tell he was thinking it over. Then in reassuring voice, he said, ""Okay Mama, we could just talk about it later."

The light turned green, and I enjoyed a silent 5 minute ride home.

2 comments:

The Moore Family said...

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!!!!

Thuy said...

One of the best stories EVER. I can tell that you are a great mom.