I'm the Boss!

Joey has become so sassy these last few weeks since I spent those few days in the hospital with chest pains. He won't leave my side for a minute, which is cool, except he's gotten a little confused with who's the boss. I ask him to pick up the toys and his usual response is that its too much and he needs help. So I usually get down on my knees to help him pick them up and before I know it I'm the only one in the room and when I call him back to help me, what is his response - "You're doing a good job Momma, you don't need my help". I think I've explained about a thousand times now that I did not make the mess, he did, and therefore it's his responsibility to clean it up.

Dinner time is another battle. He never wants to eat what's on the menu but wants something specific for dinner, usually chicken nuggets. He's pretty much ruled out vegetables and when I force him to eat them he just chews and chews until it's the consistency of juice and then refuses to swallow. I'm really getting frustrated. Take tonight for instance. We had red beans and rice with beef in it and canteloupe. He ate the melon right away and started on the rice and beans and actually told me it was good after 2-3 bites. However that's where it ended. I keep telling him he needs to finish it, especially as I'd only given him a small amount to begin with. His response, "I only like the beef". I told him I didn't care that he was to eat it all and he tells me, "I don't want to". When I responded back, crankily I admit, that I didn't care and I was the boss so he had to do what I said he just smiled at me and says "No your not Momma, I'm the boss". It took everything in me not to just let him have it. So I've taken a stand and I don't care if he has to sit at the table until bedtime, he's going to eat every bite of what Larry made for dinner and if he doesn't he can darn well go to bed hungry. If that makes me mean, so be it. I've had about enough of this.

He's also gotten to speaking so sassy not only to me, but every other adult too. My sister, grandparents, etc. It's really becoming quite embarrasing. I'm trying to discipline without spanking but timeouts aren't working, neither is talking it out. What's a mom to do when her child refuses to use good manners and thinks its funny when we get upset with him. I was raised that you respect your elders and don't talk back. I wanted Joey to grow up where he felt free to express himself but in a polite and respectful way. If any of you out there reading this has any ideas please let me know because I've run out of options here, at least any that are working.