Anger Management

#6 doesn't cry.  When he gets mad, he gets mad; it just escalates.  I can't tell you how many times I've said, "You're just making it worse."

Today, I told him he could have some cookie dough after he finished cleaning up the dress-ups he'd been playing with.  He didn't do it, so I didn't give him any.

As we walked out the door to get #5 from school, I gave a bit to #7 and ate some myself.  Well, needless to say, he got mad.  I reminded him that as soon as the dress-ups were put away, he could have some.  He stormed away, running up the street.

I wondered what he'd do when he got to the place where he'd have to cross the street.  As I continued, there he was waiting, sitting on the corner with his head in his hands.  I loved that he waited and didn't cross the street without me.  Even though he was mad, he wasn't willing to go that far.  Phew!

As soon as I caught up with him, we crossed the street, and he took off again appearing to be just as mad as he'd been before, so I held my tongue and waited for him to cool down.

I caught up with him again.  We crossed the next street.  I said, "As soon as you want to make this better, let me know.  We'll talk."  He scowled up at me but continued to walk next to me.  He opened his mouth to say something, and I expected something super ugly to come out, but he said, "Won't you at least hold my hand?"

Woah!  That was so not expected.  I said, "Of course.  I'd LOVE to hold your hand."  #7 came up on the other side, saying ,"Me too?"

It was a sweet little mom moment.  From then on it was smooth sailing.  #7 picked up leaves as we walked.  This is her new thing.  She graduated on from pine cones to leaves.  She doesn't pick up the beautiful ones.  She tends to go for the dead, half-eaten by a caterpillar, brown, crunchy ones.  She gets quite a handful and then drops them up on the school grounds.  Today she fell on our way up to the school, her knee was bleeding, but she didn't make a big deal of it at all.  I think she whimpered a bit but that was about it.  I took her into the nurses office and got her a band aid.  She left her leaves right in the middle of the nurse's office floor.

So there you go.  That was the afternoon.  I've found another magic mom's have--kissing owies, drying tears, and now...holding hands.