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That’s Just Good Parenting

Today’s StepMolly story comes to you courtesy of my husband. I was laughing this week as I remembered some parenting wisdom he shared this summer. We attended an Indianapolis Indians game (a FANTASTIC family activity) and as we walked to our seats, the kids were enthralled by the sights and sounds…and of course, the food vendors.

We regulate the kids’ sugar consumption pretty closely because we see such a tie to their behavior. More sugar = more fighting, more outbursts, more crazy. But of course, there are times for special treats and an evening at the ballpark is one of those. We just decided the treat would look more like artificial orange cheese and chips or a hot dog of questionable origin.

Once we were in our seats, enjoying the setting sun and the skyline view, the kids spotted a new, even more enticing food vendor: the cotton candy man. He toted his colorfully spun sugar wares on a pole, making it impossible to avoid him.

“Can we get THAT?!” Yoseph asked, pointing at the cotton candy, his eyes wide.

“Does he only have pink and blue?” asked Tim. “Do you see any yellow or green?”

“I only see pink and blue!” said Ana. “Why?”

“Well,” sighed Tim. “The pink and blue taste like green beans and carrots. You want the yellow or green.”

“Oh no!” cried Yoseph. “But I don’t see any yellow or green!”

“We will keep looking,” Tim assured him.

Meanwhile, I could not keep a straight face. But I was in good company. Several couples in the rows in front of us turned their heads with a smile as the situation unfolded. One dad just burst out laughing.

I later asked him in the car if he felt bad about deceiving the kids that way instead of just saying no to the cotton candy. “Nah,” he answered. “That’s just good parenting.”

3 Comments

  • JulieAnn
    Posted March 2, 2016 at 4:34 pm

    My parents told us the truck that drove around in the summer was just playing music. Who knew he also sold ice cream?!?

    • Post Author
      mollydeuberry
      Posted March 3, 2016 at 1:26 pm

      So funny! Tim tells the kids that it plays music when it’s out of ice cream. They’re always so disappointed when it drives through the neighborhood! :)

  • Buffy
    Posted March 3, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    I love this post! So true and funny! The kids think I talk to their teachers and Dr. Bergstien daily – example: “Dr. Bergtien specifically said that you can’t have more than one pop-cycle!.” I did get busted once, however, when Yoseph asked Dr. B about a certain conversation I had “said” we had; luckily she played along (-:

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