Follow the Leader

Word Count:181

Follow the Leader
By Donna Lowich

On vacation in Florida, four-year-old Jeffrey and three-year-old Kenny had just been reprimanded for misbehaving on the tram ride at Disney World. Once off the tram, I took Jeffrey to a nearby bench.

I looked him in the eyes, those large chocolate-brown eyes, and sternly told him, “You should behave better because you’re older, and Kenny does everything that you do, and that gets you both into trouble.” I paused. “ Do you understand?”

Jeffrey stared back at me, having absorbed my every word. He nodded his head vigorously.

At last! I had gotten through to him! I had reached him! “This parenting thing is a snap,” I thought to myself, “All you have to do is explain things on their terms.”

Not missing a beat, Jeffrey hopped off the bench and went face-to-face with little Kenny. In fact, they were so close that the brims of their matching red Mickey Mouse baseball caps were touching.

Jeffrey pointed a pudgy toddler finger at Kenny, and advised: “Kenny, don’t you be bad just because I be bad!”