good enough parent confession #5: riding the waterslide

"I want to stand here by myself," he tells me as the bell signals impending waves.

"That's fine," I say, further directing him to remain close enough that he could hold my hand if needed.

"Okay" And with that, he flashes me his delicious smile and walks into the oncoming waves.

{Well, mama, I say to myself, it is time to pony up...}

I splash my way to him and pick him up. 

He laughs as I carry him in my arms and start removing his life jacket and then...

He stops laughing

He starts squirming and

He starts scream-crying.

You see, we were going to hang in the wave pool for one more round of waves and then ride the water slide two more times before going home...as long as he made safe choices. 

{making safe choices, a growing area of difficulty for him that afternoon}

Screaming. 

Bargaining. Big big tears. Back arched. Body rigid. 

More screaming.

I consider the ease of riding the water slide "one more time, pleeeeease" and how that would likely calm everyone down and {maybe} get us home with fewer tears.  

So tempting.  

But I decide against it and instead, pack up our bag and hoist both bag and boy across my shoulders.

                           

He screams bloody murder all the way to the car.

"I wanna go on the water slide! I wanna go on the water slide!  I wanna go on the water slide!"

He pushes against me and kicks his feet.

And then braces himself against my attempts to buckle him in to his seat - so much so that I have to take a break -

To laugh

 {it was that or cry}

And record this epic tantrum on film.

I finally get him buckled in and we drive home with his cries on repeat.

45 minutes later, he was sucking his thumb and snuggled into my lap on the couch.

My bathing suit was still damp and my arms were shaking from the exertion of tantrum-wrangling.

I kiss his sweaty head and whisper, 

"I had a wonderful day with you.  I am sorry the end of our adventure was so disappointing and sad."

"It's okay," he says with his thumb still in his mouth, "I make safe choices tomorrow."

-----

confession number 5: 

Sometimes you have to be "that parent" who takes her kid from the water park, kicking & screaming

{even if it feels bad}

and

Laughs {or smirks} when emotionally overwhelmed with her child 

and

Asks her other child to hold the camera while it is recording bad behavior.

Sometimes safe choices are hard choices and you have to trust you will get a do-over tomorrow.