Is it because I am a man?

The last few weeks the kids and I have been going to the Science Center after they get out of their "school." Almost every time at least one person says I am brave to come out alone with the Triplets. I think anyone would get that but this last time I felt a little reverse discrimination.

We were having a great time moving from one exhibit to the next when we came to the magnetic wall. It is a wall that is well, one big magnet. There are a lot of kitchen items for the kids to stick on the wall, sans the sharp or pointy ones:) There were two whisks and William grabbed both of them. Addison instantly wanted them. I asked William to give one to Addison and he did so very graciously. But no, she wanted TWO, TWO, TWO, TWO! She ramped up her fit till she was screaming. No big deal, I live for these times. I knelt down and got face to face with her. I told her that she had one and William had one blah, blah, blah.... She got madder. So I gave her a choice; calm down or time out. Just then a volunteer/employee stopped by to see what the problem was and tried handing her other stuff. I tried explaining quickly what she wanted and why she was not getting it. About ten seconds later another person stopped by asking if she was OK. Finally the third person came and said "I will do time out with you."

Needless to say I wanted to thump each of them in the head for getting in the middle of the situation. I was VERY calm, the boys were right there with us and they were having a good time playing with the wall. I was just talking to Addison and explaining her choices to her. I know everyone who tried to help did so with the best intentions but I wonder.... did they do it because they thought "Daddy" was in over his head? I don't take it personally I just find it funny. I doubt many people interrupt a Mother talking to one of her children that is pitching a fit. I don't have a problem with my kids "showing out" in public, HELLO! THEY ARE TWO AND A HALF, THEY PITCH FITS! Laugh if you want, I do, but don't try to help.

The way I look at it I was just having a "coaching session" with one of my "employees."

The Triplets get a taste of how traveling was different before Minivans:)

A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.
Ludwig Erhard (1897 - 1977)

Al