I don't think Dr. Spock would approve

The boys are in MAJOR fighting and constant bickering mode - 24/7. It's driving Brad and I to drink. While if you were to drop in on any given day you might conclude that Jackson is doing more than his fair share of starting it all, I really think it's all starts with Teddy and puberty. He's just so often disagreeable or mean or argumentative that I think Jackson is protecting himself by lashing out first. This is not really the point of this story but there it is.

One of the things my darling Teddy will do is give Jackson a wedgie. Now this is all good and well except for the fact that Teddy is much bigger and stronger than Jackson, not to mention that Teddy has no sense of when to stop - no upper limit. And occasionally he has bursts of anger that if mixed with wedgie giving could be really bad.

So on this particular day they were outside my room while I was laying down with a bad head cold trying to take a nap and they were bickering and fighting and I was doing my best to ignore them and fall asleep..... Until Jackson was screaming; blood curdling screams. I came out and found Jackson writhing around on the ground gasping for air he was crying so hard. I finally got that this pain was caused by a wedgie. I'd had enough. I walked to Teddy told him to turn around which he did though he didn't suspect what I wanted. I reached in and pulled him up and off the ground by his underwear and gave him a solid shake before putting him down again. He was shocked and horrified. (I might have been too - somewhere in there I was thinking... am I really giving my 11 year old a wedgie?)

It hurt him. He yelled and slammed the door and yelled a certain four letter word (for the first time I might add). I told him to watch his mouth. After about five minutes I came out and told him I was sorry that I had hurt him and much to my shock and awe he sheepishly apologized for hurting Jackson. I told him I didn't think he understood just how much it hurts when a bigger and stronger person gives you a wedgie - I think he gets it now.

I think it may have worked out exactly as I intended for it to though I can assure you I was absolutely not thinking clearly at the time because if I had been there's no way I would have done that. Can you imagine? Geez.

Camela