“Can I have a Twinkie?”
“No, dear.”
“Why not?”
“’Cause we’re eating at six o’clock.”
“Yeah, but I want one.”
“I just said you couldn’t have one.”
“You never give me anything.”
“What do you mean I never give you anything? Do you have
clothes on? Is there a roof over your head? Am I feeding you in two
seconds?”
“You gave Joey one half an hour ago.”
“Listen, are you your brother? And besides, he eats his dinner.”
“I promise I’ll eat my dinner.”
“Don’t give me this promise, promise, promise stuff, Monica!
Yesterday—at four thirty in the afternoon—you had half a peanut-
butter-and-jelly sandwich, and you didn’t eat anything at dinner!”
“THEN I’M GOING TO KILL MYSELF AND THEN RUN AWAY
FROM HOME!”
“WELL, BE MY GUEST. I’M SICK OF THIS!”
You can see where trying to talk at the wrong time can get you.
Though everything Mom said was true, her talking made the situation
worse.
In the next scene, Mom is getting smarter and starting to use the 1-
2-3 program, but it’s new and the child is still getting used to it.
SCENE II: STARRING THE MOTHER BEGINNING THE 1-2-3
PROGRAM
“Can I have a Twinkie?”
“No, dear.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re eating at six o’clock.”
“Yeah, but I want one.”