It was, but fortunately days that bad are few and far between. I'm definitely not able to keep my cool as often or as well as I'd like. But I feel like if I can take a deep breath and devote a minute or two to it, I might find a way to handle it better.

I believe you absolutely have to follow through with your threats or else they totally backfire. I always remember The Simpsons (The Itchy and Scratchy Movie) where Bart is contemplating straightening up and flying right because he was actually going to go to bed without dinner. Then Homer pops in with leftover pizza and ruins the whole thing. I want Jonah to be both a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court AND a sleazy male stripper, just like the late Earl Warren! ;)

It's not easy, especially when you've got a broken-hearted child crying his eyes out because you hit him where it hurts (figuratively speaking). I've even had "you're making me sad" and "please be happy, don't be angry" thrown at me between sobs for taking away bedtime stories on more than one occasion. But the next day is ALWAYS a better day. And because I've seen it work with him thus far, I know I have to keep it up. Even if on my way out of the room, I let out a quiet "awwww".