Heartbreaker

"You're breaking my heart!" It was the cry from my four-year-old this morning when I told her she could not have a fudgesicle for breakfast. "But, we don't even have any fudgesicles!" I responded, as if that would mean a thing to this wounded child. "You don't love me anymore!" she howled. What? How could she say that? How could she think it? How do these kids do it? They can tug on our heart strings in both good and bad ways and completely control the way we react to a situation. Think about it. Your child does/says something really naughty and then gets the cute, impish grin and you can't help but laugh. Or, they tell you they hate you and you want to cry. How can someone so little and so unaware of their actions wield such a strong punch? The key for parents is remembering to not take it personally. Your kid doesn't mean it when he says he hates you or that he's running away or that he wants a new mommy. I guess we've all got to learn to let it roll off our backs. Soon enough, you'll get to the point where you're helping him pack for the trip!