Grapes of wrath....

Parenting has it's "painful" moments let me tell you....  I'm learning that as I go along.  It isn't all smile and laughs.

Tuesday was a pretty routine day for us....  breakfast, getting dressed and to the park...     What was different about this day was that I had packed the boys a zip-loc bag of grapes...which I typically pack some type of fruit when we're going out.  The boys had fed on these grapes for quite a while now and had even shared with some of the other kids...  so it was getting down to a few dozen grapes...   Michael had grabbed a bunch and just simply wasn't satisfied and was determined the wrestle what few grapes were left from William....  but in doing so he actually dropped his.  This of course set him off on a fit like I haven't seen before..  and right away of course he wanted Williams grapes.  And I let him know that he couldn't have William's grapes and that had he not been greedy that he would still have his grapes which I remind you was a majority of the share of remaining grapes...

This of course only caused him to cry more...   But I wasn't going to punish Wm by making him give up the last remaining grapes....  I really wanted Michael to understand the consequences of greed...   It hurt me because I saw the tears streaming down his face and I just don't like seeing my boys cry.  I did my best effort in trying to explain to Michael had he focused on the grapes he had vs trying to take Williams as well that he would still have them.  

These are those moments as a parent that you really start to second-guess yourself....    What is the right thing to do?   Do you cave and make the other give up his grapes or do you stand your ground.  I'm asking myself "does Michael understand right now it's not that I'm angry at him or don't love him as much?"  or "Is this the appropriate place and time for a lesson like this?"   Am I the only parent who does this? 

Well as I continued to question myself...   All was not lost....  In a rare moment of compassion Wm decided to part with the few grapes he had left and share them with Michael.  I was quite moved by this because it was unsolicited....    Wm did this all on his own.    Finally....  I thought as I smiled.  I'm getting through to them....  looking out for each other.... brothers.

I think in the end there were a lot of lessons learned....     I had to stand firm if I'm going to decided to instill in them some of the values they need to function day to day....  Michael learned to appreciate what you have and Wm learned to get all the grapes you can before Michael gets to them....  lol

thanks,

Dad-E