A 15 year old in a 3 year old body.

My son has attitude. He has what I swear is teenage attitude, and he is not quite 4. Why? Why is it so? Yes, chortle amongst yourselves that given earlier blog entries, you may call it karma. Ho ho ho... so clever and funny aren't you? NO! Its not right!

An example is necessary here. Yesterday I asked said child to clean up the lego that he had tipped all over the floor. He said he didn't tip it out. Well then, who did? I asked. He shrugs and goes back to his drawing. "Oi, I said clean up!" says I.
"I. Don't. Want. To." he says as though I am unable to speak English, or perhaps, some sort of utter moron. He even has the pout and sneer perfected already.

"Did I make the mess Finn?"

"No."

"So... why should I clean it up. Do you clean my mess up for me?"

"No."

"Aha!!! So get to it then Mister."

Cue tanty. Tears and slamming things around and general carry on. So I sent him to his room, and from the lounge room I can hear tears and sobbing interspersed with "This is STUPID!" and also "I don't WANT to clean UP!" So I turned the stereo up to drown him out. Nice parenting huh?

Anyway, eventually I go in and offer to help him clean the mess up, he agrees, job is done. He then mutters somthing under his breath using the word stupid again. I stop and he knows I have heard him so he immediately tries to turn invisible and sit in the corner.

"You BET you can go to the corner, and don't even think about TOUCHING that toy!" I shout.

"STOP TALKING NOW!" my 3 year old shouts back at me. I look at him, blinking, uncomprehending. Who IS this boy and why did his parents raise him with such a rude attitude?

I stride over to him and say "STAND UP, COME WITH ME." And take him to the blank wall of the dining room (open plan to kitchen where I was getting dinner). I say "Stand here and face the wall til I say so."

What does he do? GIGGLES!! Starts giggling and chuckling at me! I have to try not to laugh myself, because really, its pretty funny, my boy facing the blank wall, laughing, full of 'tude... I go back to the kitchen and go to close the blinds and catch sight of myself in the window reflection. No wonder he is laughing, I still have the kings crown on from an earlier game we played. Yes, I was trying to be authoritative and in control in a kings crown. I would have laughed at me too!