I need Parenting 101

For those who have been in my house can vouch that I don’t have a lot of furniture. Only bare necessities, and even then the cost for most items is never on the high side. To put it simply, most of the items are relatively cheap. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t hold them dearly.

So imagine my surprise, to say the least when Husband asked me about all the scratches on all the handles on my lazy chairs. Do note this: I have only two lazy chairs and one chocolate-stained sofa in my living room. And the handles of both chairs were scratched so deep and repeatedly that you can feel the grooves if you put your arms on them!

Husband’s immediate response was “Isya! You better come here!”

I stared at the scratching. Then I saw something – some legible characters like the letters O…P…

“OPI!!!!” I screamed on top of my lungs.

Opi cowered in between the cushion. I knew then very well that he did it.

“Why?” My voice was shaking in anger and frustration.

He couldn’t answer. He didn’t have any answer. He just did what he did – period.

I was (am) very upset about the whole incident. Not so much on the scratched handles. More on Opi’s refusal to grow up. He’s going to be seven next week. I doubt that I’m expecting too much. All I want him to realize basic can/can’ts, do/don’ts and nothing more.

Last night he slept hugging me. Of course I love you, Opi but I can’t help feeling like I failed to be a decent mother.