Finding That Happy Ending
I don't know what there is to be all pissed off about when you are six years old, but Alexis found it at school Friday of last week. She then took that pissery and shoved it in her heart where it festered and grew and exploded into A Very Miserable Attitude.
She and her Very Miserable Attitude stomped off of the school bus, walked up the sidewalk, and glared at me when I asked her how her day was. With a snap and a growl, she stormed into the house and began to complain about everything.
"It's too hot."
"Penny is bothering me."
"I don't waaaaaaaaaaaaant to change clothes."
OK, then. Go ahead and stay in your school uniform, CHILD. And while you're at it, JUST GO TO BED.
I didn't say that to her, by the way. There's really no point at yelling at someone who has a Very Miserable Attitude. It's like throwing gasoline on a fire (these are the things that you learn when you are old like me). Instead, I asked Alexis the question I ask her every time she tries to wallow in a vat of misery and whining.
"Alexis, do you want to have a good day or a bad day? It's your choice."
She hates when I say that, but it usually works. (Oh, how I wish it worked on grown-ups.)
She glared at me some more and mumbled something under her breath. If she knows any curse words, I'm sure she used them.
"Seriously, Alexis. The story of today isn't done yet. Do you want it to have a happy ending or bad ending?" I said.
She glared and glared and then finally broke from the stare-off we were having. "I want to have a happy day, I guess," she finally mumbled.
"You guess or you do?" I asked.
"I DO," she snapped.
Five minutes later, she had shrugged off the Very Miserable Attitude. We decided to help her write her happy ending by hunting down a little carnival in a mall parking lot.
And then she slapped some pink cotton candy on top of that happy ending LIKE A BOSS.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Reader Comments (13)
You can try saying it to me next time I'm moaning and groaning on twitter. I might listen. ;)
I tell my kids all the time, how the rest of this moment/day goes is up to you... wanna start over? Make the choice to be better/happier etc...
seriously, how do we keep missing each other?
LOVE the pic of Alexis in the whirly and this so made me think of Alexander and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
<3
Love the long exposure first pic, nice timing to get the door as she was spinning by. I also like the wide-angle of the swings
I like this I will be using it in the future. Looks like fun at the carnival. Our mall carnival comes twice a year, and they always manage to bring the cold rainy weather with them so we never get to go.
I absolutely wish I had you as a Mama when I was growing up. Well done. This old Mom has learned something new. Thanks. Great post!
I need to learn to stop trying to talk Juliana out of her bad attitudes- it is amazing to me how she can turn that attitude around so quickly when she decides to. It looks like she ended up with a very happy day! I love the first picture!
I think pissery is going to be my new favorite word.
That is a great lesson that many adults still need to learn! I am glad you are teaching it to your daughter. How well do you think it will work on my hubby when he comes home grumpy from work?
That photo of her & W looks suspiciously like THE RIDE FROM HELL. She looks far happier on it this time than last.
if you don't adopt me i shall have a bad day!
ohhhhhhhhhhhh, lookie there...no problem with commenting, too. bam!
Dang it! I wish I would have thought of that when Blake was little.
We did have the no means yes thing or so he would start then I asked him if he wanted a spankin and he said no and I would say well no means yes so come here he then would say no means no. no means no. lol :-) loved that one . Spankings were used as an absolue last resort when all other methods had been tried. But you have to say it that way to get the freak out on. hehe
Or Do you want the nice mommy or the mean mommy.... nice mommy, nice mommy. :-)
If you figure out how to get that to work on adults, please post it....I have some coworkers who could use some help with choosing to be happy...