Don’t you give me that look, young man

I’m totally useless when it comes to discipline. Why? Because I can’t keep a straight face while looking at this face. I wasn’t expecting that I’d turn into that parent, the kind whose kid gets away with murder because oh, his mother is a giant softie. The kind that other parents shake their heads and tsk at.

Barely two-years-old and my son has discovered that he’s got a special power in weasling out of trouble. He raises an eyebrow, then the corners of his mouth turn just ever so slightly and looks at me with the twinkle in his eye. Usually, this is the point I go “don’t you give me that look, young man” but he knows it’s a desperate plea more than a command and it is the cue for him to go in for the kill. He recites “sorry, mommy, won’t do it again“, rubs his chest vigorously (to sign his apology), then breaks into a giant grin.

Finishing move complete.

Each time, I tell myself that I’m going to be firm this time. I take deep breaths and gather my resolve but who am I kidding? I was never the disciplinarian type. The brief attempt at being firm ends like these things always do: with me looking like a complete doormat. See, I generally avoid conflict at the risk of well, having it snowball into a bigger conflict.

The moment he pulls out his get-out-of-jail-free card, I pretty much cave. That’s how much resolve I have – about zero.

I know this is going to come back and bite me in the ass when he is big enough to manipulate us to get his way but I’m banking on the fact that by then, he will be a lot less cute and way easier for me to not fall apart completely. At this point, he still looks baby enough to act all innocent and cute.

To his credit, he’s a really good kid but there is one thing that really drives me up the wall on a daily basis – eating. Meal times have become a battlefield with him pushing the food away, spitting it out and clamping his mouth shut because he “don’t like” whatever I feed him. Sometimes he eats a couple of mouthfuls when he gets to feed himself, but he usually makes a huge mess and more food will end up flung all over the floor that inside his mouth.

I thought of not fighting him on it and just letting him starve if refuses a meal. He’ll eventually learn to eat whatever is given to him when he’s hungry enough. The only problem with that is feeding just so happens to be the one test of every mother’s competency. Don’t ask me why that is. I mean, I can get away with not buying them developmental toys or not sending them to the fanciest schools but feeding, that’s like the basic requirement of every mother. That and the ability to whip up a storm of the finest, healthiest eats. Both of which I can’t do to save my life, it seems.

That’s why I can’t help feeling terrible if my kids don’t eat even though I tell myself that it’s not going to kill them and in the long run, it’s actually helping them. I’ve tried every trick in the book to sneak some vegetables into his mouth, only to have him spit it right out.

And just when I’ve about had it with the feeding frenzy, he flashes me a look like this and I’m right back to being putty.

How do you get through meal times? Or is it just my kids that want to eat Mackers all the time?