Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Gas again?

"mommy, what was that ding sound?"

"that was the gas gauge, Jackson."

"why'd it make that noise, mommy?"

"to tell me that the car has only 14miles left until we run out of gas."

"MOMMY, what happens if we run out of gas?"

"you'll have to get out and push the car with Sullivan."


*voice higher than the usual male 5 1/2 year old:

"MOOMMmmy, I can't push the car if it stops in the street, cuz I can't go in the street."

"True, Jackson, very very true."

"So how do we stop the car from getting out of gas, mommy?"

"two things Jackson, find a gas station and,..

"You both can't fight anymore in the backseat. You both have to sit quietly and look out the window, or watch the thing up here (crusty is now pointing to the area on the overhead console that digitally shows the amount of miles left before you're s.o.l) to see how close we get to running out of gas. But if you talk, the numbers will drop faster because you're burning the gas inside the vehicle by tiring it out with all the fighting Sullivan and you are doing..."

Not another peep the entire ride home.

Welcome To Crustybeef~
I think I've solved the car/kids/fighting/whiny act.....freak them out about the car running out of gas.
Yeah, yeah, here comes the judgemental comments of how cruel I am to my children.
But, look at it this way before you judge me: I may be freaking them out about running out of gas, but guaranteed they'll never let their tank get below half full when they're of driving age.
If you ask me, I think it's quite effective.
A win win for all, I can't wait to use this in the future!

7 comments:

austere said...

Seriously smart this was.heh.

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

austere: thanks..I'm hoping that if I manage to screw up my kids it'll be over gas gauges. :)
Always,
Crusty~

Portia said...

this is not cruel at all...actually it's pretty cute! now, if i were to see them actually trying to push the car down the road...that might seem cruel...;)

SOUL said...

i'm with portia... great quick thinking on your part... but ya.. pushing the car at that age would be quite cruel... although, i think i was about 7 or 8 when i pushed (helped) our car when it ran out of gas... which also resulted in my stepping on a roadkill armadillo ... barefooted.. in the dark !!!
now that, is child abuse !

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

Portia and Soul:
Yeah,..that would be a bit rough-and they get whiny when I ask them to crouch down and pick up their toys..imagine how they'd be outback my darned minivan trying to push it along a busy road..can we say, DCFS?
funny! and Soul, a RKA? Gross..in the dark? that sounds like your typical case of parental tough love, or as we'd refer to it, child abuse. :) your comments always make me laugh.

ALways,
Crusty~

SOUL said...

yep.. that was just great... but only one of the many abusive acts that i have been forced to find humor in... lest i die. :))

you're a good mom
with great lookin kids too.

have a great day

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

Crusty~
You're sweet-thank you!! Although my kids will probably say I suck someday, I might as well enjoy the praise now! :)
Always,
Crusty~