My kids are pretty good about not begging, or whining for things. But they are kids, and they have their methods of operations.
Ryan is very persistent when he has his eye on something and will mention it several times- he never forgets anything. He seems to just wear me down over time. He doesn’t whine, but just never drops the subject.
Cole looks at me with his big, blue, eyes and smiles at me, and it gets me every time. Good thing he isn’t at an age where he is asking for more than goldfish crackers for his snack right now.
A few days ago Ryan mentioned in passing that his school was having a book fair, and there was a pointer he really liked. He said we could go on Thursday. It didn’t really register at the time, so I told him we’d talk about it on Thursday.
Today when he came home from school he told me that we were going to the book fair tonight- it was the last night, they were open until eight, and he needed the pointer for his “classroom.” He added, “Please Mom,” which he never does.
Ryan loves playing school. On the days he doesn’t have school, he has played school for eight hours straight. He has lesson plans, reading, music classes, hall passes- everything. So when he said this pointer was for his class, I asked him to tell me about it. He said it was a pointer so he could read and point to the words in his books and so he could teach the kids in his class. I told him I’d think about it.
When it was time for dinner, Ryan said we had to hurry up to eat so we could get to the book fair before eight. I was torn. I don’t want to give into my kids every time they want something. On the other hand, it is so innocent. He wasn’t asking for an $80 video game- he wanted something to enhance his school play. While I was debating the pros and cons, he started crying and said if he didn’t get the pointer, he was never going teach again! So dramatic!
I explained to him that we don’t throw fits when we don’t get what we want. I told him if he stopped that behavior, I would keep thinking about it, and let him know after dinner. Of course he stopped crying right away, and I told him after dinner we would go check out the book fair.
When we walked into the library, his eyes lit up and he said, “Come here Mom, and I’ll show the pointers.” I guess I was expecting a little laser pointer, or something with a little light on the end of it, and it took everything I had not to start laughing when I saw what my son had his heart set on:
I told him and Cole they could each get one, and they both stood there for several minutes deciding which color pointer to get. It was very cute and evidently, very important.
I remember when I was Ryan’s age- that time in childhood when playing and make-believe is your biggest worry. Those times go so fast- they are almost gone for Ryan. I looked at how innocent and care-free both my boys are right now, and know it won’t always be this way for them. Childhood is gone in a blink of an eye. One day, that will be here sooner than I think, we will have much bigger issues to face than pointers at the book fair.
Ryan and Cole may never remember the pointers, but I will. For now those pointers delay the inevitable a bit, and help keep my children, children just a little longer.