New glasses leads to destructive tendencies

Posted in Mom Stuff
by Alicia Castelli

My daughter has apparently decided random acts of vandalism against her glasses will result in her not having to wear the glasses.
Since Keira is only 4, I went with the “2 pairs for $99” deal at Great Northern Mall. I assumed the worst thing she could do was lose a pair and we’d have to bring out the backup pair.
Turns out I seriously underestimated her.
When “I can’t see with them on!” didn’t work, Keira decided she’d try sneaking them off when we weren’t looking.
When that didn’t work she tried outright refusal but she didn’t care for the swift and immediate consequences of telling her parents “no” so she gave that one up pretty quickly.
Then she insisted they were slipping down her nose. They actually were but Keira was frus-trated to learn Mommy was willing to drive 35 minutes back to the mall for the free adjustment.
The following two weeks were pretty uneventful. We breathed a sigh of relief. That transition period wasn’t too bad!
One of our other children accidentally knelt on Keira’s glasses and bent them so I had to break out the backup pair earlier than expected, but that was a minor issue and not her fault. Mommy had actually left them in a vulnerable spot.
Evidently, this gave Keira an idea.
Within two days, she’d chewed through the rubber ends on the ear pieces until the metal wire inside was showing.
I put them right back on her face. She bent them backwards so they wouldn’t stay on. I carefully bent them back enough for her to wear.
She pulled off the rubber nose pieces so by the end of the day she had two raw spots on each side of her nose.
Fine. The next day we made the 35-minute back to the mall with both pairs of glasses for an ad-justment and repairs.
“Break these again and you will be punished,” I threatened.
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” huge, doe-brown eyes shimmering with regret and tears peered up at me over her rims.
“Are those tight enough?” I turned away and asked the technician. Do not react to the doe eyes! Do not react to the doe eyes! I am stronger than the doe eyes!
I figured the loss of Wubbzy, Dora and Max & Ruby would be more than enough to keep Keira in line. Have I mentioned the freakish amount of determination present in that little 4-year-old body?
I picked Keira up from daycare today.
“Where are your glasses?” I asked.
The eyes got wide and filled with tears and the voice dropped to a whisper.
“They got bent.”
Not only were they severely bent but the nose pieces were gone again.
I don’t know how many times the place at the mall will adjust and repair and replace parts on her glasses free of charge, but I have a feeling I’m going to find sooner rather than later.
Now for the punishment…Suggestions welcome.