Thursday, August 12, 2010

Well Played Wednesday: Not Just for Adults

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday because...well, because I have shit to do.  That's all the excuse I need, really.

DISCLAIMER:  This story reflects the way I choose to raise my child.  I am SURE that I will offend someone, but I don't care.  I don't go around telling y'all how to raise your kids (unless you're abusing/neglecting them) and I don't care to be told how to raise mine. 

It turns out that it's a good thing I waited to blog Well Played Wednesday this week because this funny happened just last night. 

Chris and I drink alcohol in the presence of our kid.  We do not drink irresponsibly in the presence of our kid, but we have been known to enjoy a couple of drinks while she's up, including a drink with dinner.  We have told her what we are drinking and that these drinks are for big people, not little girls.  She knows what wine and beer are and she knows that when Chris is drinking soda out of a certain type of glass that it is a "daddy drink" (whiskey and coke) and that she can't drink it.  I see no reason whatsoever to lie to her or to hide this fact from her.  She is only witnessing adults doing something that many adults do:  enjoy alcohol responsibly.  Hell, it can't be any worse than a parent who is smokes in the presence of the child or who blatantly and loudly curses at or in front of the children (you know...the things you see at the WalMarts everyday).  In fact, it's probably better.  We aren't harming her in any way.

Last night, I was drinking a beer after dinner.  I was also playing with Jayna.  We were making invisible soup out of her fake food.  She served me invisible soup and then said, "Mommy has a drink.  Mommy's beer."  I said, "Yes that's Mommy's beer." 

She then served herself up some invisible soup and grabbed her juice cup.  And what did she say?  Wait for it..."Jaynie's beer."  And then she guzzled it.  Well played, Jayna.  Well played.

We knew it was only a matter of time.

And don't worry, I proceeded properly, explaining that beer is, in fact, a big people drink and juice or milk is a Jaynie drink.  She promptly changed her answer to "Jaynie's juice."

See?  No harm, no foul.

1 comment:

Penny said...

Girlfriend, you are now an official member of the "Mom's who worry too much about what other people think" club....I am the founder. Don't apologize for the way that you raise your child...she's healthy and happy and that's ALL that matters. In the end, we all need therapy anyway, so just do your damnedest! Jeff always offers the grandkids "beer-milk" as a beverage option. Once he mixed it up and let them look at it and smell it...they are now very anti-beer-milk. If it works for you then it works.