GOOD COP BAD COP

I have watched way too many episodes of "Law & Order" (although only re-runs that have Lenny still), so I know how to read someone their Miranda rights (and if you want to know some more about the origin of this, read this), how to handcuff someone (but let's not go there tonight, okay?), and (most importantly to this post) how to play good cop / bad cop.

Parents sometimes use this technique, which supposedly undermines what is ideally the "united" guardian front (i.e. the child learns to go to one parent instead of the other for certain things) - but show me a kid who doesn't already knowthat dad will say 'yeah, you can watch that show' and mom will say 'but only two of those cookies before dinner.'

Tonight, this method of confrontation was used with a certain offspring who is currently living at home.

And normally my husband plays the "bad cop" with the gusto of a top Nazi commander in a Jewish ghetto. I mean, it is frightening how frightening he can be.

This time? He completely surprised me by straddling nicely the subtle line between physical abuse and actually making our son uncomfortable enough to understand the importance of what we were discussing.

However, he did break his own ring finger on his right hand immediately following our discussion.

I guess if you aren't allow to get violent with your offspring anymore, you can at least get violent with yourself.