Marla Evans was at her wit’s end. Her three-year-old son, Johnny, had been throwing tantrums every morning, begging her not to take him to daycare. At first, Marla thought it was just a phase, but as the days went by, Johnny’s distress only grew. She tried to reassure him, promising to pick him up early, but nothing seemed to work.
One morning, Marla’s patience wore thin, and she snapped at Johnny. The look of fear in his eyes broke her heart, and she knew she had to get to the bottom of the problem. She sat down with Johnny and asked him gently, “Why don’t you like daycare anymore?” But Johnny just shook his head, refusing to answer.
Marla’s instincts told her that something was wrong. She decided to drop in on the daycare unannounced, determined to see what was going on. As she peered through the glass window of the dining room, she was horrified by what she saw. A teacher was forcing Johnny to eat, pushing a spoon into his mouth and yelling at him to open up.
Marla’s anger boiled over, and she stormed into the dining room, demanding that the teacher leave her son alone. The teacher tried to defend herself, but Marla was having none of it. She explained that forcing a child to eat was traumatic and could lead to eating disorders and obesity.
As Marla left the daycare with Johnny, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She had stood up for her son and protected him from harm. Over the next few weeks, Marla continued to monitor the daycare, popping in at lunchtime to make sure Johnny was being treated with kindness and respect.
As the days went by, Johnny’s tantrums disappeared, and he began to enjoy daycare again. Marla’s instincts had been right, and she had taken action to protect her son. She realized that being a good parent meant setting boundaries and respecting her child’s needs. By standing up for Johnny, Marla had taught him a valuable lesson about self-respect and the importance of speaking up for oneself.
