Yep, live and learn! And if I may offer another perspective about your son feeling guilty about that cupcake…you taught him to respect his parents’ wishes. You taught him to be honest and not eat one behind your back (whether or not you’d have minded is beside this particular point). You taught him that he can talk to you about difficult things and you’ll listen. You taught him that you’re open to change and respecting him and his feelings as another human, and not “pulling rank” and giving him “because I said so.”

There’s a lot of great parenting in this story.

And sometimes, all the great parenting in the world means nothing, as I’ve found out.

There are loads of blessings here. Please be kind to yourself 💖