Spoiling Children

Last night Miss M had a tantrum, a pretty good one. She wanted something to eat that I wasn't going to give her (she wanted something that took some preparation and that I had finished and put everything away - and that she's not been eating lately, anyway - I wasnt going to drag everything back out and make something that would end up in the trash), although I offered to get her something else. I usually take her into the bedroom when she does this to calm down. So we went into the bedroom and I offered to make her a sandwich, no good. I offered peanuts, no good. I offered a slice of (soy) cheese. No good. I had been contemplating making myself some popcorn (this was after dinner), so I said, "How about popcorn?" She stopped crying and looked at me in amazement. "Mommy! You're going to spoil me!"

We have a friend who does sweet things for her (her college aged daughter, does, too) and I've told Miss M that they spoil her. So, in her mind, I think "spoiling" means doing something unexpectedly nice.