女儿发脾气时妈妈的绝招
[b]The Tantrum[/b] My mother was a vocal supporter of corporal punishment, but for all her talking she has never spanked my siblings, and me only once[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Instead she found ways of punishment that left a more lasting memory then the short sting of a swat on our rumps[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] One of the most memorable of these occasions occurred when I was four[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] In the early 70’s my mother attended college during the day while my sister was in school and I was in daycare[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] One day at daycare I watched an extremely tired mother attempt to pick up her daughter[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] The little girl asked, "Momma are we going to McDonalds for dinner?" The mother replied, "Honey, not tonight[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Momma has to run a few errands and then we have to go home and cook dinner for Daddy[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" "But I wanna go[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" "Susie, I said not tonight[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Maybe, if you are a good girl we can go tomorrow[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" Susie immediately dropped to the floor, kicking and screaming, "I want to go to McDonalds[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" No amount of pleading or scolding her mother tried stopped Susie’s tantrum[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Finally her mother gave in, "Okay, Susie, lets go to McDonalds[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" Susie stopped yelling and smiling she grabbed her mother’s hand and they left[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] To say I was amazed would be inaccurate; I was delighted that anything I wanted could be had by throwing a tantrum[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] That day my mother picked me up early from daycare because we were going to Sears & Roebuck to pay on a Christmas Layaway[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] I was excited by the lights and 1decorations, and as we walked through the toy section on the way to the Layaway Department, I saw a toy I had to have[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] It was a white and red telephone whose bells rang as it was pulled along on a string[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Looking lovingly up at my mother I asked, "Mama, can I have that telephone?" She replied, "Baby, not now, but if you are a good girl maybe Santa will bring it to you[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" "But Mama, I want that telephone right now[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" Her eyes narrowed and her hand tightened on mine[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] "Becky, you can’t have that telephone today, but if you misbehave you can have a spanking[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" By now we were standing in the long Holiday line in the Layaway Department, and I figure it was now or never[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] I lay down on the ground and began screaming, "I want that telephone," over and over again[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Weary Christmas shoppers looked as my mother calmly said, "Becky, you better get up by the count of three or else[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] One…Two…Three[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" Nothing[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] I was still in full tantrum[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] So then she lay down beside me on the floor, and began kicking and screaming, "I want a new car, I want a new house, I want some jewelry, I want…" Shocked, I stood up[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] "Mama, stop[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] Mama get up," I tearfully pleaded[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] She stood, and brushed herself off[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] At first stunned, the others waiting in line began to sporadically clap, and before I knew it they were cheering and laughing and patting my mother on her back[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] She blushed and took a little bow and the next thirty minutes in line was pure misery for me as various parents leaving the Layaway Department, shake their heads at me and say with a smile, "Your mom got you good[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] I bet you’ll never try that again[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit]" And I didn’t, because it left a lasting mental picture more effective then any physical mark[enterit]英语俱乐部[/enterit] 我妈从来都说她支持对不听话的孩子进行体罚，可尽管她口头上说了那么多，她就从来没有打过我们几姊妹（除了一次打了我屁股之外）。她总能想出一些方法来惩罚我们，而这些方法远比巴掌打在我们屁股上更痛、更持久。我记得最清楚的一次发生在我四岁那年。 七十年代初期，妈妈白天在大学里念书，而我姐姐当时在学校念书，我则上了托儿所。有一天，我在托儿所里看到一位疲惫不堪的母亲来接她的女儿回家。只听那个小女孩问：“妈妈，我们晚上去麦当劳，好吗？”那位母亲回答说：“今晚不行，宝贝。妈妈还有事情要做，做完后还要回家给你爸爸做饭去。”“但是我想去嘛！”“苏茜，今晚不行。你听话的话，妈妈明天带你去。” 小女孩听完马上就坐在地上，踢着脚嚷了起来：“我要去麦当劳，我要去麦当劳……” 不管那位母亲怎么好说歹说，那女孩还是不依。最后那位母亲让步了：“好吧，我带你到麦当劳去。” 苏茜马上停止了叫喊，拉住她妈妈的手高高兴兴地离开了。我惊奇地看着这一幕，心里简直乐开了花原来只要耍耍脾气就可以得到我想要的东西啦！ 那一天我妈妈提前到了托儿所来接我，因为我们要去西尔斯商场拿我们预定的圣诞礼物。一路上，我被商场里花花绿绿的灯饰吸引住了。在路过玩具专卖区的时候，我一下子就看上了一件玩具。那是一个红白相间的电话机，只要拉一下机上的绳子就会发出动听的铃声。我抬头很乖巧地对妈妈说：“妈妈，能买那个玩具电话机给我吗？” 妈妈回答说：“宝宝，现在不行。如果你表现好的话，说不定圣诞老人会送你一个。”“但我现在就想要嘛！” “贝基，今天不能买那个电话机，如果你再胡闹的话我就要打你屁股了。” 妈妈皱起眉头握紧了我的手。 我们当时在定购部收银处那里排队，很多人排起了长队准备交钱。我当时就觉得机不可失，不争取的话电话机就没指望了。我一屁股坐在地上尖叫了起来：“我要电话机，我要电话机！”这么一嚷，周围购物的人们都回过头来。只听见我妈妈很平静地说：“贝基，当我数到三的时候你最好给我站起来，一……二……三。” 我没有起来，还在继续发着我的脾气。这时妈妈也在我身边坐下，开始踢着脚叫了起来：“我想要部新车，我想要座新房子，还有珠宝，我还要……”我吓得马上站了起来。 “妈妈，不要这样，妈妈，你起来啊！”我泪眼汪汪地请求说。 母亲站起来拍了拍衣服，愣住了的人群开始稀稀拉拉地鼓起掌来。我还没醒悟过来怎么回事，他们已经欢快地笑了起来，还不时地拍妈妈的肩膀表示鼓励。妈妈脸红红的，向大家鞠了个躬表示感谢。你都不知道在接下来的半个多小时我有多么难受的。人们在离开商店前都会冲我摇头，并笑嘻嘻地对我说： “你妈妈是为你好，我敢打赌你以后再也不敢这样做了！” 我后来的确没有这么做了，因为这实在太刻骨铭心了，那教训比身上的疤痕还更深刻。页:
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