Lesson Learned The Hard Way
You know we can change locations, but life is still stressful.
The 12 hour drive to New Orleans was a breeze. Ethan relaxed in the backseat watching DVD’s with his headphones while Nate and I enjoyed the XM radio in the Saturn Outlook (courtesy of General Motors!).
The drive from New Orleans to the Panhandle of Florida should have been even easier since it was a mere 5 hours….but life never goes as planned does it? Ethan was so restless! No movie suited his mood. He wanted nothing to do with the LeapPad either. Maybe he was exhausted because we walked his little legs all over the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans the day before.
Needless to say by the time we crossed the Florida state line Nate & I were both completely stressed by the constant whining, annoying noises and yelling coming from behind us. I tried playing games like ‘I Spy’ with him in the car, which lasted all of 2 minutes before he was yelling and throwing stuff again.
I admit my temper is sometimes very short. I have a tendency to lose it quickly. Which isn’t something I’m proud of because I see Ethan exhibit the same temperament and feel as though I’ve role modeled that behavior to him as acceptable.
About the third time he threw one of his toys at me I lost it. Somewhere on HWY 98 is a pair of kids sunglasses.
I’d threatened the entire 5 hour drive to throw his stuff out the window if he threw it up in the front seat. So finally I made good on the promise.
Only I just meant to “pretend” to throw it out the window. I swear it was a total accident.
The effect was just what I didn’t want. Ethan begins to yell, scream & kick. (Wasn’t this behavior what we were trying to stop in the first place?)
I can tell you this - Ethan has rode in the car fairly well since. And every once in a while he mentions me throwing his sunglasses out the window. So the memory stuck with him as a lesson.
But is it the vacation memory I wanted him to have?
Yes, indeedy! It will be one that will bring lots of laughs over the years.
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You will laugh, later I promise
Oh my goodness! I’m on the side of believing this will one day be a favorite family story. There will be plenty of laughter about it, eventually. I’d just keep an eye on your sunglasses and Ethan and windows in the near future, in case he tries to repeat the scene! (Just kidding…. I hope!)
just popping by through BlogRush… wanted to say that this sounds like something I’d do too. And you’ll laugh about it one day together.
Blessings,
Karla
I really hope you are not feeling too terribly bad about this. This may not be a popular opinion, but…
You warned him, he is the one who choose the consequence. Maybe he didn’t think you would do it, but now he knows that you will follow through with what you say.
If you had only “pretended” to toss his sunglasses, any lesson learned from throwing toys when told not to “or else” would be lost. He’d see the return of the sunglasses as proof that you won’t really follow through with what you say.
I’m sure in the future you will laugh about it but I hope it’s in terms of “Mom means what she says…why there was the time I was misbehaving in the car, mom threatened to throw something of mine out the window if I did it again. I never thought she’d do it…so I threw something and out the window went my sunglasses! Yep, good ol mom, she taught me a lesson that day. She says what she means and she means what she says LOL!”
*now I shall step off my soapbox and slink out the door.*
Sounds like the ‘universal law of unintended consequences’ took over to provide a family vacation memory that’ll become a ‘keeper’:)
y’know, i think i’m with Poppy on this one. he did make the choice. mind you, i can totally see myself doing this and then feeling exactly as you describe, so perhaps it isn’t a great idea from the parental perspective…but i don’t think you did a bad thing.
except, of course, i bet those sunglasses weren’t biodegradable and will be out there for a bazillion years…
Dude, that is a riot.
I think that sometimes, follow through on the threat is really a good thing.
But - too bad they REALLY went out the window bcse now you just have to buy new ones.
I’m sure this will end up being one of his favorite memories of vacation. Don’t worry about it!
Oh man, that is nothing… I remember childhood car rides with much rougher memories… this one is one he’ll be laughing over someday.
You did good..and I will bet they will both remember and smile..without letting you know they think it is scary and funny…
We have all had those times with our children..I think you set a good example of making good with your promises…and I bet there were a lot of great times with the vacation…..
Dorothy from grammology
call your grandma
It’s so tiring when the kids handle long trips like that. It’s a good thing you followed through on your threat.
Dude. sometimes you do something and there is a consequence. Ethan learned his lesson, sounds like. Don’t fret!
[…] from throwing sunglasses out the window, our vacation went fairly smooth. Except the fact their was another woman traveling […]