“Mommy, all the chocolate is gone.”
I turn around to see my son crinkle a blue foil in his hand.
My heart suddenly stops. “Where did you get that?”
“It was in a jar, up in the cabinet.”
Oh no. My worst fears have come true.
The kids discovered my hiding spot … you know the place you keep the good stuff hidden away? Such as the chocolate that is supposed to be off limits to small people.
Yes, I confess, I’ve had my kids living in a bubble in which they think good chocolate is M&M’s and Hershey’s Kisses.
Knowing this, I realize I need to watch my back, because they’ll figure out I’ve been holding out on them. And it’s not just in the candy jar. Sadly, this is affecting other facets of my life as well.
The other evening, I grilled up T-bone steaks for my husband and myself. But as my three-year-old looked at his hotdog, it seemed to cross his mind that I had something better.
My children used to actually prefer a hotdog, but I see these days are long gone now. He matched me bite for bite as I finished my dinner. Visions of me eating a steak locked away in the bathroom flashed through my mind. No, doesn’t have quite the same appeal to it that sneaking away to have chocolate does.
Then my mouth dropped open in horror as the realization hit that we wouldn’t be able to go out to eat anywhere nice anymore! And the kids were just getting to the point where we could sit through a dinner without throwing food and having a tantrum. Those days were certainly short-lived.
Yes, my bubble has officially burst … and I rather liked that bubble. But I suppose we can’t keep them in the dark forever. All I can say is, it’s been a good ride while it lasted.
Soon they may even realize we stay up late and eat good things after they’ve gone to sleep … or turn our backs and eat another cookie when we’ve told them they’ve had enough.
We’ve taught our children from the beginning to share, think of others and to always play nice.
But what about when they realize these rules don’t always apply? At some point, I guess they just have to learn life isn’t fair.
For instance, last time we went out to eat, my five-year-old tried to order a beer. Hold up – not so fast. You’ve got a while before you can enjoy everything your parents do. Sorry, there are some things you will just have to wait for.
As for me, this message hits straight to the heart, as it looks like I may have to wait to have another steak until the kids are in college. Growing boys eat a lot – and usually everything in sight. So, chances are, I will be the one stuck having the renowned meat conglomerate, we fondly know as the hotdog.
