Mmmm......read a book? Play with one of your, I don't know.... kajillion toys?
"...or do whatever I want"?
Noooo....... you can't do whatever you want. There are many things you can't do right now because it's too close to bedtime. What you can do is read a book or play.
"But you know Mommy, I really can do whatever I want".
No, honey, you can't. Didn't you hear what I just told you?
"But people can do whatever they want. Even if they get in trouble for it, or get hurt, or die. If they don't care if they get in trouble, or get hurt, or die, then they can go ahead and do whatever they want."
Hmmm. I suppose so.
"Then that means I can do whatever I want"!
Wait a minute..... would you really do something you knew you would die from doing?
"If I really wanted to I would. I don't care if I die."
There was no anger or defiance in her voice.
There was no "I know I'm going to heaven, so it's all OK"
She said it quite cheerfully, in the same manner she might say: I don't care if you paint my toenails pink or blue.
A little shaken, I gave her the only response I could think of:
Well, I care if you die, so don't be doing anything you could die from OK?
We've always known she was a control freak. When she was three she would make a game out of handing out colored blocks to whoever was sitting around. She would always offer the recipient a choice of two colors. "Mommy do you want the red block or the blue block"?
The color would be chosen - "I'll take red".
And the block would be given - invariably in the color that was NOT chosen. We could not understand the point of asking our color preference in the first place. Why not just go straight to giving the-color-I-want-you-to-have block? Seemingly, it wasn't enough for her to be in control. She wanted everybody to know she was in control.
And now this "I can do whatever I want" discussion. Basically she's saying, "I don't care what the consequences are, nobody's going to tell me what to do".
I think I've got my work cut out for me.
And to illustrate the opposite extremes that are my daughters, just a few minutes after my somewhat disturbing exchange with Peanut, Sissy was reading a book and I told her she had to stop reading at 8:00. "OK", she said. "But can I finish the sentence I'm on?"
10 comments:
Th only thing worse than a control-freak is a cntrol-freak who also happms t be a philosophr!
;)
Sondra Said:
Just wait until their 12.
Why Mr. Polanski, thank you for handing me the opportunity to clarify myself. We actually encourage the philosopher in each of our children. Answering their profound questions is one way we like to indoctrinate them with our beliefs. True, my daughter caught me off-guard last night, but I've had time to prepare myself and plan on having a nice little conversation with her about God and man, free will and the consequences of sin, and the hope of redemption through the sacrificial death of Christ. May be too much for a 6yo to digest but right now I'm just watering the seed.
Sondra!!! Glad you made it, girl!
I am waiting VERY patiently. I'm in no hurry for her to be 12. In fact, I get chills thinking about it.
Wow! How can a six year old come up with that?? Sounds like she has a brilliant mind, though!
Oh my gosh! Well, at least you have the one to lean on..LOL!
God bless,
Sallie
I think having a child like that would drive me crazy. Do you need prayer...?
Yes, effectual and fervent would be great, thank you!
I would say wait until they are 15 but who am I kidding here you have a son older than Bo, and besides your 6yr old is a girl and I hear that just opens an entirely different can of worms. ( just kidding) Seeing all my kids are boys I'll leave that up to the parents who have boys and girls like you !!!
Keep up the great stories of you and your childrens lives it is a blessing !
Sheri
Both of my daughters are control freaks. My husband says they get it from me which is true. Sometimes their need to be in control get's on my nerves. They are constantly saying "Let's do it this way mommy" or "Well I wouldn't do it like that." Sometimes it takes longer to get through things because they always need to tell us all how they would do things (if they were in control)
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