How to make your kid have a fit

Ask him what he wants for breakast. "I'll eat whatever I want!" he screams as he slams open the refrigerator.

Move furniture out of your office. "I want this to be my bedroom." And when he's told it won't happen for all the various and appropriate reasons (except the very honest we're too lazy one) have him burst into false tears and then try to get Daddy to do it instead.

Make him follow the rules about having only adults open doors at daycare. He'll run and hide. When made to go back in and wait for me to open the door he pushes me on the butt through the doorway.

Continue to work when he wants me to play. He errupts into screaming fits because that makes playing with him ever so much more appealing.

Give him the green handled homemade popsicle instead of the blue one. We just do this to torture him obviously.

Refuse to let him eat oyster crackers for every meal. Oh, and not only that, refuse to let him take said oyster crackers and put spread cheese between them for every meal.


Lately if I look at him wrong he'll start pitching a fit. I know he's got a cold, I know he's grumpy, I know he's four, but he's trying my patience! I find myself looking for hiding places when I hear him winding up for yet another round. I hope this stage doesn't last long. My boss told me that one of her friends called age four "The terrible two's with muscle." I need at add "and backtalk." I hope it doesn't last long.

Meanwhile, things have been pretty dull around here. I think we need a mid-winter infusion of fun and energy around here. Last year around this time we went to Florida and caught some sun and we should have planned to do something like that once again. Alas, we've no such plans.

I do have an opportunity to make things better though. Ben moved a bunch of stuff out of his office and has now moved the futon couch which has been living in my office up to his office. I now have a big empty space in my office but the most exciting part is that this is a perfect opportunity to paint this room. I'm so sick of off white walls everywhere! I need a nice warm comfortable color that makes me think of summer all year around. I don't have to match anything in here, most of the room is pretty nondescript at the moment And then I'll need to add a chair, won't I? A nice comfy one with a big protective toy-resisting net over it. Can it be sound resistent as well? Maybe what I really need is a lock on the door.....