A Breakthrough

Celebrate with me here! I had a breakthrough!

What looks like, smells like, sounds like, tastes like, spits like, and makes-my-hackles-rise like rebellion...isn't always.

It took four children and eight years, but I think I've reached wise(er) mom status.

Note to moms: If you plan to pick your kids up from school and surprise them by going directly to the park because the day is lovely, bring snacks. Yes, most of you knew that. Work with me here. I've never been a big snack mom. I packed them snacks for school and assumed they had recently had one and could wait another 30-45 minutes for another.

So we come home from the park and children wish to watch movie. Mom says "No, but now is the time to have a snack." Child, having a meltdown, doesn't heed mom's advice. Children play a bit outside. Child asks for ice cream. Mom says, "No, but you can have popcorn." Child, mad about the no, doesn't heed mom's advice. Fast forward 20 more minutes, clearly creeping up on the dinner hour. Mom tells children to pick up. Child has meltdown.

drum roll please.

Mom (not freaking out, not yelling, not sending child to room, not threatening all types of evening torture like no dessert or going to bed early, not spanking) calmly tells child:

Get your rear into the kitchen now and eat a banana before you get into trouble. You are clearly hungry and need some food in your system.

Child eats, picks up and is helpful the rest of the evening.

Thank you, thank you very much.

There was a day, not so long ago, that I would have had an hour long (or longer) battle with said child. We would have had great weeping and gnashing of teeth. I would have wielded my right to be obeyed and he would have wielded his great lungs, but in the end, I would have won. Neither of us would have felt good about our day and daddy would have come home to a very unpleasant home.

But I've learned. Blood sugar hits a low that is too low for child to obey. So what looks, smells, and definitely sounds like rebellion is sometimes just hunger.