My two-year-old daughter is learning to deal with the challenges of delayed gratification. Told this morning that she could have just one piece of candy from her Christmas stash, she chose a single Herschey's Kiss over the candy bars that — sizewise at least — must have been more enticing. So there's hope.
As it is a parent's prerogative to walk that fine line between teaching a child a life's lesson and messing with her head for the hell of it, I explained that if she never eats the candy at all, she'll always have something to look at and feel happy about. With hindsight, I thought that was pretty Zen of me.
Then again, I've been known to scarf down a foot-long tube of Pringles in under five minutes. So when she gets old enough to charge hypocrisy, I'm going to have to invoke that special stipulation used by parents across the globe and throughout time: the 'Do As I Say, Not As I Do' clause. Praise be to whoever came up with that one.
Recent Comments