December 8, 2001 - Saturday
It happened just before dinner, on the way to the dinner table actually: Harry started his not-uncommon random whining about some thing or another, perhaps the realization that he was hungry, I don't know. And, as often follows this seemingly undirected burst of emotion, I told Harry, "that's enough" and then "let's go have dinner." Unfortunately, as I was saying this I heard Jeremy pipe up from the ktichen with a demand of his own and I immediately realized the mixed message we would be sending Harry in these times of Jeremy's infancy. When Harry was young, we showed him the same responsiveness as we now show Jeremy, always trying to be there for him when he cried so he could learn we are there for him in times of need. Of course, at two, the situation has changed. It is no longer time for him to get the same response by simply whining.

Toward the end of dinner, Jeremy had some more to talk about and, as usual, his mother picked him up fairly quickly and tried to solve whatever baby problem he had (hunger, dirty diaper, fatigue, it's a fairly short list generally). But, Jeremy was not so quick to be satisfied and went on crying for a little while. After a few moments of ado from his parents, Harry said, "Jeremy, that's enough."

Indeed.


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