Monday, May 21, 2007

Ice Cream

My husband and I don't always agree. Shocking to know that, right? It's usually the little things that we don't always see "eye to eye". Sunday evening after dinner we took the girls, and ourselves on a nice leisurely walk out for ice cream. It's something we do every few months, so it's a very exciting event since it's out of the ordinary. So this past Sunday we were sitting at the ice cream parlor eating our cones and my oldest daughter dropped her half eaten cone on the floor. She immediately looked at me waiting for me to say "hey, this floor is clean, carry on with eating, not a big deal". But I didn't. It wasn't even an option. She was so upset and the verge of tears so I offered her my cone since I had the cone filled ice cream left in mine. But due to our flavor differences, it wasn't even an option for her. She was not about to have fruit in her ice cream no matter how desperate the situation. I mentioned the idea of a replacement cone. I said that I was certain it happens all of the time and I'm sure the kid behind the counter could make us a new one without charging us. Michael, my husband was appalled. He said it was a lesson of life. Kids need to be more careful and how will the learn if their cones are just going to be fixed by parents throughout life? I'm paraphrasing of course, but it was something like that. So I suggested a compromise of having my daughter, who is five now, ask the kid scooping if they make replacement cones for kids. She did end up asking in a quiet and polite voice, that he couldn't help but get her another cone. Don't worry, I did ask him to make the ice cream slightly peaking out of the cone since that is how far along she was.

So my question is, "is it ethical to ask for a new cone"? Am I babying my kids too much that they won't even be able to hold down a job one day? Should she have to sit there while we all finish our icecream and reflect how things could so easily have gone differently had she been more careful?

5 comments:

Susan said...

All I can say is, if I dropped my cone at Graeter's, you can be damn sure I'm going to ask for a replacement. C'mon, it's delicious ice cream! No one should have to watch their floor cone melt away. That is not right.

Tell Michael he's a meanie!

Susan at Working Moms Against Guilt

Michael said...

People who read this (Susan, I'm looking at you) might not understand that we have slightly devious little children who already think that with a smile the world bends over backwards for them.

I do think in these cases they should learn about minor loss--as if getting to eat only half of your ice cream cone could be considered such--before major losses occur.

StuntMom said...

Susan, I'm on your side. I think icecream is too valuable to use to teach a life lesson.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, just let them eat the friggin dropped cone. A few germs isn't going to mess them up nearly as much as you already have. Sheesh. The only lesson they got from that is that their parents are OCD.

StuntMom said...

Wow, how judgemental. I bet you sleep great at night and love who you are.