the boss

mama, please can we have biscuits for supper? 'no. you can have one if you are still hungry when you have eaten your sandwich, the green things, and the strawberries.' (they knew that would be the answer, are entirely unsurprised and probably pleased they will at least be allowed a biscuit at some stage, and go about arranging their picnic with healthy food instead)

then eldest walks into the kitchen, looking slightly miffed. 'mama, why are you always the boss?' i must confess i don't like the sound of that and find myself quickly wrecking my brain for examples of situations where i'm not the boss. within a split second i realise those situations do not exist. could i come up with a more politically correct term? guide, mother...? hmm. that would be hypocritical because although i can be negotiated with, ultimately i'm the one who decides what goes. ok, i am always the boss - and although i don't like the sound of that, the alternative definitely sounds worse at this stage.

so i explain it is my duty as their mother to teach them what is, and what is not the right thing to do and how to go about deciding what to do when it is less clear what is (not) the right thing to do, so they willl grow up to be well balanced happy sensible lovely caring adults who do their best to do the right thing most of the time. and when she has learnt all that, then she can be the boss sometimes.

hmm. dunno whether that did the trick. she doesn't look as miffed anymore as she walks back into the garden... but maybe that is just because of the daunting job she can see i have ahead of me...