Parenting challenge

We have the battle of wills at home every so often. They seem to be getting more intense as the little man gets older.

Yesterday was an easy day until I began to exert my will upon my child. I had to work so he needed to go to a neighbor's house for awhile. He loves these folks and, as a mater of fact, we spent the evening before over at their house for dinner. They are not strangers to us.

As soon as we went to get in the car to go, he suddenly has a tummy ache of unspecified origin. Then he does not want to go, in fact, he wants to go to work with me. UH no. I can get much more done, quickly, without a 4 yr old under foot. I tried to explain this and that I would be home quickly if I could just go, do my thing and come home.

We arrived at another neighbor's where we were to meet everyone for a pool outing. Now I cannot get him out of the car. Nimbly he hops back and forth over the seats, just out of reach. I am losing patience, counting to ten. I gather his stuff, slam the car doors, take a spare set of keys just in case he locks himself in (the car is running) and walk away. I linger with the adults explaining the issue. Nathan, 6, goes and tries to get Jake out of the car. No luck.

I walk back, Karen who is watching him for me comes with me. She sweetly opens the back door and explains to Jake that she just wants to talk to him and she is not going to grab him out of the car. He hops to the front. I open the door, tired of this nonsense, and grab him. I carry him to the poolside and sit him on my lap while he clings to me like a baby koala bear on his momma.

Finally he decides that he wants to go play inside. The hostess and I take him in show him where the bathroom his (he knows but it is a cautionary measure). He settled in and I high-tailed it out of there.

I got an email later letting me know that he was happy, playing in the pool and having a great time. He spent 20 minutes playing inside, regaining his composure but after that..... good times.