How do you keep a straight face?

Ever had those moments when you're trying to discipline your child, and they say just the right thing that makes you lose your composure? And, of course, once you lose it, there's really no going back. Along those lines, this happened today... (sorry - the lead-in is long, but it's worth it)

Karina is our surveyor. You know... the people who mark out property line boundaries. She's always testing the waters, seeing how far she can go, pushing the boundaries.

We've been dealing with the issue of 'sticking out your tongue' the last few weeks or so. Wherever she picked it up, she's decided that this is her new way of dealing with a frustrating situation. Always out of our sight, always towards her big sister. Very sneaky. (Can't wait until the teen years - yikes!)

Our methods of dealing with issues like this have to constantly change with Karina. One week, a certain form of discipline works. The next week, it does not. We began with time-outs and an apology this time, explaining why it was not okay to treat someone this way. But no result. We even tried a little soap - if your mouth is doing something dirty, maybe we need to clean it. Still no result. So Julie was talking to a friend last night who had another suggestion - something she had tried with one of her children.

So today when Karina again stuck her tongue out at Jadyn, we thought we would give it a try. I pulled her aside (after having her apologize) and brought a roll of blue painting tape with me - the kind that removes very easily from walls and coincidentally, skin. Sitting next to her, I began to explain to her that since she continued to use her mouth for something it was not meant to do, I was going to put a little piece of tape on her mouth and she was not going to be allowed to use it for a period of time.

I told her she would not be allowed to talk. At this point, her lower lip began to quiver; the thought of not talking is very tough for our little talker. "But, Daddy..." she began...

Now this was right as I had set out lunch, so I then told her that since she could not use her mouth, she would also not be allowed to eat.

This is where I lost it, because in the 2 seconds it took for that reality to sink in,
her eyes widened,
began to water,
and she held her arms straight out to the sides (like Jesus on the cross),
rolled her shoulders forward, and said with defeated desperation,
"But then I will die!"

Apparently she thought I meant 'forever.' I couldn't help it - I lost it, and began to laugh. I tried to catch myself, hoping to hold on to my intended seriousness of the moment, but it was so hard. "No you won't, Honey. It's only going to be for 5 minutes."

Julie was in the next room laughing, which really didn't help me keep it together, but we couldn't help ourselves. All I can say is... maybe we put a little of the fear of God into her and with luck we won't be having the same issue anymore.

She did survive, by the way. She had to sit at the bar in front of her lunch, next to her sister who was eating with a five-minute head start, and watch the whole time. But she ate her meal well after we took the tiny piece of tape off. But I think a little did sink in.

Ahh - the mind of a four-year-old~