It's not if you win or lose....

A few months ago while changing in the locker room after swim lessons, Benny kept saying, "Don't beat me Daddy, don't beat me!" I noticed a couple of the other parents with their toddlers giving me that look. All of you who have kids know that look because you have all seen it or given it. It's that look on the face of astonished disapproving parents when they see a kid doing something they can not believe any human would let there kid do or think that it's okay for their kid to do. I was perplexed and quite nervous at the same time. What was Benny talking about? I have never beat him and the few times I have had to get his attention with a harder than loving tap on his backside, I would hardly call it a beating. "Daddy, don't beat me, don't beat me Daddy!" I asked him what the heck he was talking about. "Don't beat me!" Then it dawned on me. He didn't want me to finish changing before him. "Ooooh, you don't want me to get done changing before you." I said it loud enough for all to hear me clearly. The faces of the other parents turned from astonishment to understanding. Everyone was now smiling, the guy who had DCFS on his cell phone said to never mind and hung up, and the guy standing closest to me said he saw the look of distress vanish from my face. "I was hoping he would clarify that" he told me. We all had a laugh and went on our separate ways.

Fast forward to about a month ago. As the family was headed up the stairs for story/bedtime, Benny sprinted up the stairs and turned around with a big smile. "I beat you guys. I beat you guys up the stairs!" Now some of you who know me may think that I somehow have instilled a highly competitive attitude in my oldest son. That is not the case. "Benny, It's not if you win or lose, it's how you play the game. It's not nice to tease when you beat somebody." He seemed to understand, told me he was sorry, then proceeded to his room to pick out a book for story time. The very next day, I picked the boys up from daycare. We drove home and Benny noticed that Mommy had not come home yet. "Hey Daddy, we beat Mommy home." I wasn't even thinking about the night before, but when Mommy came home the first words out of Benny's mouth reminded me that my point did not hit home for him the night before. "We beat you home Mommy, we beat you home." I reminded him that he was teasing and teasing is bad. Once again he told me he understood and it would never happen again.

That night when it was time for bed and I was slowly climbing the stairs behind Sammy as he crawled up just a little faster, Benny again sprinted up the stairs. He stood up, whipped around, and proudly proclaimed, "I didn't say it Daddy, I didn't say I beat you, I didn't say it." I guess the point I was trying to make sort of kind of hit home. It doesn't happen every night, but most nights Benny reminds me that he no longer tells us that he beat us. When we come home from daycare he is sure to tell us that even though we beat the other parent home, he will not tease. What a good boy?

P.S. Can any of you guess what inappropriate command Benny gave me about a hand full of times at the top of his lungs in the back yard while I was spraying leaves at him with the leaf blower? It made me turn and inspect all the neighbors' yards to make sure they didn't overhear it. I'll give you a hint, it's worse than "don't beat me."