Another Shopping Story

Sunday afternoon I had some shopping and errands to do....and with no one else at home, I had to take Ricki along. Half-way along she asked me to buy her a drink, and I told her “We’ll see. And only if you really behave.” (She had a bottle of water. The only reason I considered is that we are low on empty bottles....) In the previous store I had already gotten a bit upset with Ricki, as she had asked the sales lady for a gift of her pen, which the stupid idiotic lady gave her above my murmured protestations. But I had quickly decided to let it go rather than make an all-out scene in the store, as Ricki had at least ASKED.
In the next store, a photo shop, she took some papers that were not hers, and I made her return them. About five minutes after we left the store, I realized that she had put a permanent marker pen from the store in her bag. Back we went. The pen was returned, and Ricki muttered an apology that surely she did not mean at all.
I informed Ricki that she had lost her chance for a bottled drink. So, much as I suspected, she started screaming “I’m thirsty!” (And of course all the people walking by wondered why this mean mother was denying basic necessities to her daughter.) That tactic didn’t work, so she started pushing me, twisting my arm, etc. That also didn’t work very well for Ricki; I continued walking home.
So she was told at home exactly what she did wrong, and what her consequences are.

She will learn that it doesn’t pay.
She will learn.
(Although she pushed me only for a minute or so, not “all the way to the bus stop” as last time. I can see that there WAS improvement.)

I just wish, for once, that she would learn a bit faster.