Tough love

People always tell me parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Normally I smile and think how much I really enjoy my kids and being with them 24/7 doesn't bother me too much. When it comes to discipline though that is a whole other story. That must be the hard part of parenting that people talk about. Tony is the softie the "good cop" and I am the gee I hate to say it "bad cop". I suppose since I am home all day setting, enforcing and following thru on the rules I get to be the "bad cop" but sparing the rod does spoil the child and I don't want that! Although Tony and I don't believe in corporal punishment we do believe in consequences for bad choices. Blaise has reached an age of reasoning where he truly understands most right and wrong choices and he certainly knows how to behave in most situations. From birth he has rarely missed a day of mass so by now he should know the drill. This leads me to the tough love part of tonight. We opted to go to Saturday mass in evening (mistake #1) and we opted to let Blaise bring in a notepad and pen to church (mistake #2) and we chose to sit in the front row (mistake #3) so picture this: 3 yr old clicking pen entire time of homily then talking just above a whisper about daddy squeezing him too hard to keep quiet which leads to an outburst of I need a drink of water NOW mommy and oh by the way look at me climbing on the kneeler and attempting to clobber my sister in the head while she prays! Ok that was part of it I am too mortified to discuss any more details except that the straw on poor camel's back is broken and Lego man is without his legos for a few days until he learns appropriate behavior in church! As I questioned taking blaise's picture for the blog I realized somehow someday I am saving it for him so when he grows up and has a son just like him he can laugh about it! I wish one of tony's sisters had taken a picture of him riding his hot wheels around in circles like crazy! It would have put this all in perspective for Tony I am sure!