I have to give the biggest shoutout to my sweet boy, Hayes. Today was his first day of school so yesterday I asked which backpack he’d like: sharks or checked. He said “Mommy I really love the shark one! But let me see the other one please.” As he’s looking at the checked one Hart says, “I want the shark one!” And I asked, “Hayes which one would you like?” And he kinda sulks then quickly perks up and says, “The other one.” He said that because he didn’t want to cause a fuss. Then I snuck up behind him and whispered in his ear this morning, “You know what? I think that’s a super cool backpack.” Hayes’s face lit up as he exclaimed, “Really, Mom?!!” This melts my heart right down into a puddle but also makes me wonder if this is healthy? Should I let Hayes concede his wishes more than a normal 4 year old just because he understands his brother can’t process disappointment as emotionally regulated as Hayes can? Or is this an early - but good - life lesson? Am I teaching him to repress his desires if I don’t speak up sometimes? (This parenting thing is for the birds.)