It is impossible to keep an eye on the kids every single second of the day. There are many moments when you must sway your attention towards something else such as preparing lunch, changing a diaper, or crouching in the pantry closet having your daily mental breakdown.
Although we always try to keep the kids occupied with a safe activity when we can't supervise them (i.e. coloring, blocks, dissecting rats), there are times when accidents or rough housing may happen. From experience, I can tell the difference between the two without even looking. When it's an accident, you hear an immediate cry or scream. When it's rough housing, you hear an immediate, "STOP! STOP! STOP! OUCH!!!"
While Lisa was preparing her infamous dinner of burnt tofu and hot water, she heard Emma crying for help. Lisa peeked out of the kitchen and saw Andrew pushing Emma into a corner and hitting her. I'm sure it was for a good reason, but he still shouldn't do that.
Immediately, Lisa went to break up the fight. She asked Emma if she was okay, and between sobs she said she was fine. And then it was time to interrogate Andrew.
"Andrew," asked Lisa. "Why is Emma crying?"
Andrew looked blankly at Lisa just like the way I look at Lisa when she asks me why I smell like cheap stripper lotion.
Lisa continued, "Andrew. Emma is crying because you were pushing and hitting her. Did you hit Emma?"
Andrew paused and answered, "No."
"Then what did you do?"
Andrew walked past Lisa and stood next to Emma. He then began to stroke her back and innocently said, "I pat Emma. I pat. Pat pat pat."
We were aghast to hear that. So Lisa and I did what any good parent would do. We grounded Emma for lying to us.
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