The Boomerang Effect, Parenting Style

Some of you don't need to read anything further. You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's when you JUST TOLD your kids not to do something and then, lo and behold, you do the exact same thing. I don't mean smoking, running out into the street or pushing your baby brother down (how many times a day, London? Seriously?). No. I'm talking about, well, I'm talking about this:

Yesterday, we were running a bit late for church. And if any of you know me, you know that I HATE being late for anything! I had already told London once to get her shoes on. I had Kirby in my arms and I'm ready (finally) to head out the door when I realize London STILL does not have her shoes on. "London! Get your shoes on! Now"!

Well, you'd think that would be easy, but, nooooooooo. She can't have just any pair of shoes. She simply MUST have her pink, sparkly ballerina shoes! I must admit, they are pretty, but being pretty and being where they are supposed to be are two different things. And they are NOT where they are supposed to be. She has no idea where they are and I'm not about to go hunting for them.

Her eyes are turning pink and glossy. She just cannot go without them. "Oh, yes, child. You can and you WILL! We are late!"

Then comes the stern, drawn-out lecture about how this wouldn't happen if she put her shoes back where they belong! She is told this daily. Why? Because, she's three and she can't remember stuff like this. It's normal but when I'm running late, my expectations are not normal.

I mean, honestly, evil-when-running-late-Mommy, chill on the expectations a bit, won't you?

She is handed her other pink, sparkly shoes and, though she is not happy about this, she agrees to get into the car. Off we go and everything is fine and dandy for the rest of the day. Until later that evening, when...

Mommy can't find her OWN pair of shoes!

I'm sorry. What?

I couldn't find my own shoes.

Sorry, didn't get that.

I said, I couldn't find my own shoes!

There, happy now?

Yes, that's right. I looked and I looked and I looked for my flips that I wear daily around the house. I looked upstairs, then downstairs, then upstairs again, then downstairs again, once more upstairs, last time around downstairs. After a good 15 minutes of searching every-freaking-where, I finally found them. Where were they?

NOT where they were supposed to be. And there you have it, people: The Boomerang Effect. When the "stuff" you throw at someone else comes right back at ya!