You Better Not....And Other Warnings

When one of my children prepares to break the rules, I usually tell them they 'better not____'. For example when I see Nathan walk behind the couch and throw his foot up on the back of it, I say "You better not climb over the back of the couch". When I tell Alexis she can't spend the night with Grandma and she crosses her arms across her chest and begins to pout, I say "You better not have a fit". Well these are things that my kids do, and as their mother I am quite capable of noticing when all hell may be breaking loose and they are going to do something completely crazy. I notice the oncoming craziness and tell them they "better not" do whatever action I am anticipating. This works at times, and I can thwart their plans of defiance and protest. Lately, this is not working. Here is the problem.

Nathan has learned Mommy's warning, and proceeds to tell me that I " better not" do whatever it is. For instance on Saturday I was driving through town to go to the bank and to pick up a pizza. Nathan began screaming and kicking (his new favorite activity) in the back seat. I told him that if he did not stop screaming that I would stop the car and put him in a time out. His response- "You better not put me in time out." We finally get home and he is eating dinner. He bangs his cup on the table, I tell him that if he doesn't stop, I will take his cup away and he won't have anything to drink. His response-"You better not take my cup away".

The real bad part about this sassing he has started is that he looks so darn cute, very matter-of-fact, hands on his hips, when he does it, and the words come out sort of sing-songy. It is probably quite entertaining to see for other people. So I am trying to adjust what I say in warning because Nathan likes to quote me for what can only be his own personal amusement. For the time time being Alexis has taken to warning him. Now she tells him that "he better not say 'you better not' to Mommy".