The Conversation

Monkey is in kindergarten now. For the first few weeks we let her buy breakfast or lunch once a week. She decided that she liked it so much that she would just get lunch/breakfast whenever she wanted. This is the problem...

My husband or I pack her a lunch every day. On the off days that she is allowed to buy, we give her money. So, when she was getting lunch when she wasn't supposed to it created two problems. First, she wasn't eating what we packed for her. So in some cases, the food was getting wasted. Secondly, they weren't denying her the lunch or breakfast. Instead, they fed her (can't deny a hungry child) and she basically created a tab at the school. Now I owe the school money and look like scumbag parent for not giving her lunch or money.

Needless to say, when we found out, my husband and I were less than happy about her choice. Her rationale was that it was "free" because they would give it to her without her giving them money. We talked to her about it, she said she wouldn't do it again, and life moved on.

The very next week she did it again.

This time our discussion involved losing toys and such if she did it again. She said (again) that she wouldn't do it.

Three weeks later...

Monkey and I are sitting at the dinner table finishing up our meals. Bear and Bug are already done and off doing their own things. Monkey set her fork down, laced her fingers together, set her hands on the table and said "Mom I want to have a conversation with you." I asked her what it was about and she said buying lunches. I called Bear into the room and told him Monkey wanted to have a "conversation" with us.

It went like this:
"I would like to have a conversation with you about buying lunches again. I have been very good at doing my chores, not buying breakfast or lunch when I am not supposed to, and I have been behaving in school. I was wondering if I could start buying lunch once a week again"

It took every ounce of self control I had not to laugh. Not because it was funny, but I was just blown away at the level of maturity that she was showing. She isn't even six yet! I took a deep breath and told her that as long as she continued to do all of those things, she could buy lunches again. She said "Okay, thank you" and left the table to go play.

If these are the conversations we have with her at the age of (almost) six... I am scared already for the future.