I think we all know what it’s like to have that internal conflict of good vs. evil when it comes to decision making. Do I eat that 2nd piece of cake? Should I buy those expensive shoes? If I really dislike my coworker, do I still have to be nice to her? I always figured that this started at an older age, but my son is not quite 2, and I swear that I can look at him and see an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.
Cole seems to know right from wrong and yet, sometimes, he still chooses to do the thing that ultimately leads to getting in trouble, aka time out. He is normally a really sweet kid, but I can see in his eyes when he is going to do something bad. A couple nights ago, he gave me one of his million dollar smiles… right before swinging and hitting me in the leg. Over the weekend, I gave him some Teddy Grahams in a bowl, and after a few minutes of sitting quietly on the couch, eating them and watching TV, he was all too excited to run over and get me, saying “Look!” Yup, Teddy Grahams spilled on the couch. He did the same thing today with his cereal. Yeah, Mommy is really proud of the masterpiece that is your breakfast on the floor.
It leads me to wonder if he knows the difference, why does he still choose wrong? I guess it’s the same reason adults do. It’s fun. It’s thrilling. We want to see what we can get away with. That being said, sometimes I just want to flick that little devil right off his shoulder.
