“Mom, why is it always this burnt-tasting oatmeal?” Lily grimaced, pushing her plate away with disgust. Emily, frantically rushing to get ready for work, was juggling multiple tasks: trying to get her older son ready for middle school and her younger daughter prepared for daycare.
“I’m not eating this,” Ethan declared defiantly. “Oatmeal’s for babies.”
“You’re the baby!” Lily shot back, glaring at her brother.
The kids instantly erupted into a heated argument, shouting and trading sharp insults.
“Ethan, stop it! You’re the older one, act like it!” Emily tried to reason with him, but her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Ethan kept hurling insults, and Lily, unable to take it, burst into tears.
“That’s enough!” Emily said firmly, holding out her hand. “Hand over your phone. You’re grounded from all devices for three days.”
She couldn’t afford to waste time on long lectures or explanations about right and wrong. Emily confiscated Ethan’s smartphone, handed him his backpack, and pointed to the door, saying sternly, “Time to go, or you’ll be late for school.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my phone!” Ethan retorted, staring her down.
“One week. No devices for a whole week,” Emily said, standing her ground.
“But why does she always get her way?” Ethan began to protest.
“One more word, and your punishment doubles,” she warned, her eyes flashing with resolve.
Ethan reluctantly accepted his punishment and headed to school.
“What about breakfast? Will you make me different oatmeal?” Lily asked in surprise as Emily helped her into her sneakers.
“No, you’ll eat at daycare today,” Emily replied, tying the laces.
“The food at daycare tastes gross,” Lily pouted.
“Then today’s a fasting day for you,” Emily said with a slight smirk, knowing the daycare food was excellent and Lily usually ate everything with enthusiasm. She was used to these morning tantrums, recognizing that her kids had become increasingly spoiled and willful lately. Emily believed the root cause was the tense atmosphere that had taken hold of their family.
Emily’s husband, Michael, had changed noticeably in recent months. He’d started showing disrespect toward her, and the kids, like sponges, absorbed his behavior. Back when Ethan was their only child, the family had been calmer and more stable. Michael had been actively involved in raising their son, always backing Emily up in disputes. But after Lily was born and Michael took a higher-paying job, he began spending less time with the family and barely participated in the kids’ lives.