A glimpse of what is yet to come

Well, Luke was playing with his Papa Kevin a lot and they did typical boy things...kung fu fighting, pretend shooting like cowboys with their fingers in the shape of guns, etc. Luke began using his fingers to "shoot my words," when he was 3 and he decided he didn't like what I told him to do or rather not to do. I would say, "Luke we don't use guns and we don't shoot people especially your mommy even if it is pretend." He would reply by saying, "I am not shooting you. I am shooting your words." Very clever Luke, but still unacceptable. Needless to say, I broke the habit as fast as possible and haven't had it back until now. He is back to playing pretend shooting. This is fine as a play activity or pretend, but not as a way to disrespect me or others when we do or say something he doesn't like. How do you make the distinction? You really can't. You have to basically eliminate or at least make it clear it is not ok to pretend to shoot people. Anyway, this was my conversation today...I will try and create a visual to help.

Mom: "Luke, stop jumping on my bed, please. (ignored already twice.) Luke, I said stop. If you can't stop jumping on my bed you will have to sit on the floor."

Luke: (points his finger while using a trigger thumb and makes the pshew pshew sound to mimic a shot) (how does he know this sound since he has never actually heard or seen a real gun?)

Mom: "I have talked with you about the shooting. It is not alright to shoot at me ever even if you are unhappy with something I said. If you choose to shoot at me or others again you will have to go to your room." (I thought I said that pretty clearly.)

Luke: He puts his hand back up in gun form and then retracts his finger as if to dismantle the gun. Then he aims at the TV and shoots. Then he stops turns to me and sticks out his middle finger...yes, his middle finger. He points it at me and says, "boom, it's a cannon." Yep, folks, he flipped me the bird in all its glory. He had perfect formation, I might add.

Mom: Holding back the shock and some laughter over his ignorance of what he just did, we rediscussed that all weapons real or pretend are not appropriate for use on people. No aiming, no nothing. All in a days work!

Can you believe it? My kid shot me the bird! I know he had no idea that a cannon is practically the same idea as saying the words that flipping the bird would mean. It was probably some kid that invented the whole shoot the bird business in the first place as a way to stick it to his mom...it is elementary enough and pretty immature at that! I have to admit I got quite the chuckle out of it. Rob did too. My Luke does not miss much and he is pretty darn quick to the draw. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with one day and I hope that serves to bring him much success! (just give me the strength to keep him on some sort of good path)

Luke did get the concept in the end, though. The rest of the day whenever he went to raise his hand to form a gun, he stopped and retaliated...Mom won this battle! Phew! Let's just hope this isn't some foreshadowing of the cleverness or should I say sassiness that is yet to come with my teenage boy! (if he is anything like Mom, I bet it is) ;)