A heart-to-heart talk with Jeffrey led me to believe I had finally reached him. |
Word Count:181 Follow the Leader By Donna Lowich On vacation in Florida, four-year-old Jeffrey and three-year-old Kenny had just been reprimanded for misbehaving on the tram ride at Disney World. Once off the tram, I took Jeffrey to a nearby bench. I looked him in the eyes, those large chocolate-brown eyes, and sternly told him, “You should behave better because you’re older, and Kenny does everything that you do, and that gets you both into trouble.” I paused. “ Do you understand?” Jeffrey stared back at me, having absorbed my every word. He nodded his head vigorously. At last! I had gotten through to him! I had reached him! “This parenting thing is a snap,” I thought to myself, “All you have to do is explain things on their terms.” Not missing a beat, Jeffrey hopped off the bench and went face-to-face with little Kenny. In fact, they were so close that the brims of their matching red Mickey Mouse baseball caps were touching. Jeffrey pointed a pudgy toddler finger at Kenny, and advised: “Kenny, don’t you be bad just because I be bad!” |