Not So Civil Disobedience

Two baby steps forward, three giant steps back.  This is what being a consistent parent feels like to me.  Most of the time.

Thing One has decided to test me during the two hardest times for me to punish him:  when there are people over and when we are in public.

Case One:  My friend R and her son J come over to play.  Thing One goes to time out twice for hitting J.  I make him apologize and hug J, but the play date ends with Thing One going
down for a nap halfway through lunch.

Case Two:  Church.  Sunday morning.  Shawn and I are keeping the two-old class during church.  Thing One hits J...again.  Shawn sticks Thing One in the corner for time out, makes him     apologize and hug J, then lets him go play.

Case Three:  Trip the Wonder Cat is lounging in a basket of clean, warm laundry.  Thing One smacks him and says, "Get down, cat!"  I tell him not to hit the cat.  He replies, "No hit cat.  It's
not nice."  We visit time out again.

Case Four:  Wednesday night.  Church.  In front of God, the preacher, and everyone.  Thing One stands up in his high chair, after polishing off most of my dinner, and shouts, "No!" when I ask him to sit down.  I delegate Thing Two, who is smack dab in the middle of his rice cereal and applesauce, to my friend R, and take Thing One to the nearest corner.

He decides his legs are made of Jell-O and won't stand.  I threaten a spanking.  Legs continue to melt into the floor.  I HAVE to back up my threat, so I take him to the ladies room, make sure no one is in there, bend him over my knee, and give him a quick spanking.

His legs no longer melt into the floor, and his nose goes into the corner.  The toe of his shoe attempts to carve a small hole in the floor, but he STAYS.

After his time is up, he goes to the high chair and proceeds to act like a gentleman.  His AWANA Puggles teacher said he was very well behaved during class. 

 I pull about 20 strands of my hair out as I realize, yep, it's just me. 

I can only hope that, when Thing One is in a corner in public, people walk by and think, "Good for her!" and not "Hmmm....maybe I should report her..."