Parenting 101

I've thought about resorting to treating my child like wildlife when he's having a meltdown. The other day I missed the turn onto a street we've taken to school for 2 1/2 years. My bad. I zoned out, goofed, whatever...I made a minor mistake. Unfortunately, that did not sit well with Mr. Pissy Pants. The disdain reached a crescendo and for a moment I wished I was a Game Warden and could turn around and shoot a tranquilizer dart into his neck, downing him like an elephant. Of course I would never do anything to hurt him, but it's like having the Tazmanian Devil in the backseat and I'm trapped in a moving vehicle with no end in sight. After I came back to reality and assured my co-pilot that all was well, he eventually did calm down and we arrived at school unscathed. I continued on to work, wanting to stop by a 7 Eleven for something to calm my nerves, but showing up to the office slurring my words would be sub optimal. I cope. I am mom. It's what I do.