Daddy goes to work, Mommy goes to the doctor.

As far as the boy is concerned, we must take him with us everywhere we go. There are only two exceptions that will not lead to a flood of tiny tears and an inconsolable child: J may go to work and I may go to the doctor.

J goes to work most days. This is fine with the boy since it is a normal occurrence and no matter what anyone says, when Daddy has to go, Daddy has to go. Tears won't keep him home and the boy has learned the futility in trying to use them for such a purpose on a daily basis. A couple weeks ago J helped my father move some furniture from our house to my parents' house. The boy saw J leave and because he wasn't going to work and we told him that he was going to Grandpa's house - without him - my mother and I had a weepy child on our hands for 45 minutes. Poor boy. And poor us, too.

The only time I am allowed to leave and not take the boy with me, is when "Mommy go to the doctor. Get better." I've tried telling him that it is okay for him to be away from me once in a while even when I'm not going to the doctor, but he insists that the only possible reason I could be leaving him is for the doctor. Last night I went to a neighbor's Avon party - small turn out so I scored BIG time on free stuff - and the boy insisted I was going to the doctor. I didn't argue and there were no tears.

I feel a little bad that we have stopped trying to tell the boy that we are doing anything other than what his two and two-thirds year-old brain has determined as acceptable reasons for us to leave on occasion. But sometimes, it's just easier not to fight the battle. Yeah. I know it's going to be rough for him when he starts preschool. I guess there is at least one drawback to staying home with your child in their formative years.

Labels: boy, leave