March 15, 2005 - Tuesday
I don't know, I probably shouldn't have done this: Harry was invited to Aidan's house for a playdate this afternoon with Rip and I had to tell Jeremy this morning at breakfast that Harry would be leaving school early to go do that. Naturally, Jeremy asked whether he was going to Aidan's, too, and pouted when I told him that Aidan was Harry's friend and that it was Harry and Rip who had been invited. It's a tough thing to explain to a little brother, of course. He just sees it as his brother getting to do something he can't and doesn't realize (yet) that it's not really about just playing with the toys at Aidan's house (which Jeremy did do by himself for the 30-45 minutes we were there picking up Harry), but rather playing with Aidan and Rip and those toys. So, he pouted and dallied with his breakfast (after getting off to a wonderful start). No doubt I should have waited until after breakfast, but I guess didn't just feel right about telling him at the last moment before dropping him off at school.

But, as too often happens with Jeremy in the morning, Jeremy's sluggish eating pushed up against the time to leave for school and I had to get him moving. When I can, when he gets up early enough, I'll just try to wait it out and make him realize that dawdling only means that he doesn't have time to play or even find a toy to bring to school. But, when time gets short I tend to get more direct with him, often talking about how he needs to be responisble if he wants to be treated like a big boy. Sometimes I'll get frustrated and sometimes I'll get mad. Awkwardly, out of frustration this morning I effectively told Jeremy that he won't be able to do things like go to Aidan's house with Harry until he acts more responsibly at home. It's what came out. I'm not sure I'm happy about it.


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