Because I said so...

I have moments when I take pause and wonder if when I was kid, and my imagination was still functioning on all cylinders (or some cylinders), if I could have imagined some of the things I find spewing from my mouth. Of course I say all the classics, "because I said so", "we'll see", "you have 3 (or 5 or 10 or whatever other arbitrary number comes to my mind) seconds to ...". And it does not really bother me that I do. I was reading on a few sites, the things you should never say to your kids and one of the phrases was "because I said so". The reasoning was logical enough. Your child is asking why, typically to learn more about the situation. So I think I nipped that one in the bud. I told Zack that if he wanted to know why I was asking or telling him to do something that he could ask "Why" as long as it was preceded by, "Yes Sir, but..."

Now some of the things that I find myself saying are probably not found in many parenting books or blogs. Here are a few:

I will call this the category, The Answer is a Resounding NO:

• "Do you want a spanking."

• "Do you want to go to your room?"

• "Do you want to go to bed?"

The princess category:

• "Zack, tell your sister she is a princess."

• "Zane, take off the princess shoes and give them back to your sister."
  

Kids being Kids?

• "He is not playing dodge ball, he is sitting there drinking his milk. That's not dodge ball, that's just called hitting someone in the face with a ball."

• "Zach. if you say anything more than 3 times in a row, it is officially annoying."

• "Zoe, oranges are not balls to be thrown around the house."

Why you shouldn't speak before coffee:

• "Zane, you need to focus your focus."

• "You have to finish your juice before you can have milk."

And, finally, Zane:

• "Zane, don't lick the floor."

• "Zane, don't lick me."

• "Zane, don't lick your brother."

• "Zane, get your head out of the Trash Can."

• "Zane, get your head out of the Toilet."