room war

Today I asked Sarah to clean her room. It was a real mess! I didn't leave her there alone, I was there to help. But she got really mad at me. She began to say she wouldn't need to do it if pappa was there (Juergen is in India this week). I said that's not true...and she doesn't order pappa around. Then she said she was going to move out...pack her bag and move away. I said that she would need to clean her new house too. Any new family would make her clean up her mess. So then she said she would starve herself to death. I said why? You want to starve just because I want to pick up her stuff? I said I thought she was smart. Then she started on how I thought she was stupid. Her name was not Sarah, it was stupid! I said no, I never once called her stupid. If I would call her a name it would be lazy. Why did we need to fight. I only asked her to pick up her mess and I was there to help her. Then she pulled out her final card...she had to do everything around the house. This morning she had to help me cook breakfast. We cut up fruit for fruit salad. I said that I thought she wanted to help me cook, and I would not let her help me anymore if she felt that way. Of course she loves to cook and she said mama, I'm sorry! I gathered her into my arms and said I only asked her to clean up her mess, I never called her stupid, and I do not want her to treaten me to move away or starve herself. That's not fair. How would she like it if I said I didn't want to be her mom anymore? So after all the drama we cleaned her room. She misses her dad, and she is nervous about starting first grade.