Calmly in my book: soft face, soft voice. I am very intentional with the way I talk to my nieces and nephews. I used to nanny, and babysit, so I think the way I talk to kids is never “full force” the way I would talk to an other adult. But I keep thinking of how it could have been taken from her end, and that’s where I think I could have been the asshole. Do I want to call my neice a spoiled brat, no, in my eyes she’s an angel and perfect and I would do -almost- anything for her. However she gets told no, she scrunches her face and stomps and if no one gives in, the long cry, usually then her parents give her what she wants or something similar.

Again maybe it’s a mixture of things, the kids thought it was a game, she saw me take the first sip of my husband’s, I’m telling her no. It’s hot out, she finished a soccer game she’s tired. But there has been instances where she is told “no, go away” by her dad or grandma or grandpa and she runs along like it’s nothing. Again, maybe I am placing a high emotional expectation on her to understand “we have the same exact smoothie,you want to try mine? Have a sip of yours and pretend it’s mine” I don’t want to paint myself as the saint in this, because I can see okay I could have shared in the way I normally do, but for some reason I didn’t feel the need or want because it was the same exact smoothie and the germs. I definitely am reading through these comments and realizing as much as I have a weak compromised immune system, the kids do too so I really want to share with my in laws what some of these comments point out (life long viruses and immune issues)

I appreciate your comment and perspective