One day this past week I decided to bake an Elmo-shaped cake for my kids. They had both been very well behaved the entire day, and had both made strides in their potty training. Elated, I unveiled my creation after dinner and set a big slice in front of each of them. I was sure that they would spend the following 10 minutes happily munching, so I grabbed a textbook, sat at the table with them, and got caught up in studying.
I was pulled from my study-daze by a chocolaty spitball landing on my cheek. Looking up, I realized that the kids had completely trashed the kitchen; they had smeared chocolate cake all over the table, walls, chairs, and of course, themselves.
Now, they know better then to make a mess in the kitchen. I scolded them, cleaned them up, made them wipe up the table, and them put them in the living room to play while I finished cleaning the mess.
While I did so, they managed to find a marker (probably from under the couch) and proceeded to color all over a $100 Mellisa and Doug wooden princess castle that I had bought for my daughter last summer. When I came out of the kitchen and realized what they had done I got really upset. I tried to make them clean off the marker, but it wouldn't come off. The castle had been destroyed. I sent them both to their beds right then and there.
Once they were in bed and I had calmed down, I took a moment to reflect on the situation and felt terrible. After all, it was my inattention that had allowed them to make a mess at the dinner table, and I had punished them for it. And again, while I was cleaning the kitchen I left them to their own devices, and when they destroyed the castle it was again my inattention that had allowed them to do it.
They should have known better, but so should I. And I'm the adult.
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