The Great Spaghetti Caper

We go out to dinner quite a lot with my parents. They don’t usually cook at home and since Son only eats certain things, I would be cooking for one. To me, that is not fun. Its just easier to go out.

The other night we went out to the local pizza and pasta place where Son ordered spaghetti and meatballs. Now he doesn’t usually order this out and is not very good at twirling the spaghetti on the fork. At home, I usually cut it up for him. This night he refused to let me cut it up and I was trying to offer suggestions and demonstrations for how he should be twirling it.

I should back up and preface this with the fact that almost as soon as we sat down, Son had an attitude. I have no idea why or what caused it but I was trying to be patient and keep my nice calm, cool voice going for him. I’d hoped that he would straighten up and be his enjoyable self. That didn’t happen. It only got worse.

So we had our food and I was telling Son how he should be eating his spaghetti and getting attitude back. I asked the waitress for a spoon to help with the twirling and he yelled No thanks. I tried to explain to him that he needed to use it so that he would be eating nicer. Then my Dad pipes up with “Well, I guess he wants to look like a pig while he’s eating.” I wanted to say, Thanks Dad, I am already having trouble with him and your hurtful comments are NOT going to help. When the waitress brought the spoon back, Son melted. So I sent him to the car and we came home.

In the car, I asked him what happened and he said he was tired of everyone saying things that were hurting his feelings. Oh, REALLY? What exactly did I say that hurt your feelings? I was offering advice to make everyone’s dining experience more enjoyable. YOU on the other hand were just blocking out everything anyone said to you, Mr. Attitude Dude.

Once we got home, Son had a few minutes of quiet in his room and then was ready to eat his spaghetti AND to use the lessons I tried to share at dinner.

Now, I have to address my fathers’ remarks but I did not want to do that in the restaurant or in front of Son. This should be fun!