How to Make Your Love Obvious to a Seven-Year-Old

Ah, what a warm, fuzzy feeling I was left with this morning as I sent my child off to day camp. I called, “I love you!” to which he responded, “That’s obvious.” (Read with loads of sarcasm.)

My crime? I hadn’t allowed him to replace his water bottle with a CamelBak backpack for day camp. Now, any wiser mom would’ve bitten her tongue and allowed the seven-year-old to lug our water-laden, adult-sized hiking backpack for seven hours in the Tennessee-summer sun. And that would’ve been the end of that. But considering the time restraint of the morning, I just said no. And no. And no. (Ad nauseam.)

Now, we already know the seven-year-old* is a bear in the mornings, but disrupt his best-laid plans, and you’ve got a big, mad grizzly on your hands.

He ran down the road. (Fortunately, a not-busy side road.) He hid behind the CHA unit. He refused to sit and buckle his seat belt (until I told him he’d be paying my ticket). All before the icing, "That's obvious."

In damage-control mode, I was able to get him sent on his way, but needless to say, this type of behavior has to be prevented from ever happening again. (Yeah, I know. Never say "ever.")

As I fumed plotted contemplated the appropriate discipline plan, “That’s obvious,” was still ringing in my ears.

When I returned home, I wrote the following note:

I’m still learning how to raise this hard-headed stubborn independent thinker. I’ll let you know how it goes. . . .

*Those who know the seven-year-old know that he's 95% sweetheart, 5% bear. However, the bear tends to prompt more writing therapy topics.