Adapted from an article originally published by Pick The Brain.

Are you a parent? If so, you’ve probably experienced a scenario like this one:

You run to see what your too-quiet two year old has gotten into and find him playing with the snow-globe your sister brought back from her trip to Switzerland last year. Since this is not the best toy for a toddler, you smile at your child and gently take the snow-globe out of his hands.

That’s when the screaming begins.

What do you do? Do you endure the shrieking child or give back the snow-globe?

If you’re normal, your thinking probably works its way through the following steps:

1.     He can’t really hurt himself with the snow-globe

2.     He probably won’t break the snow-globe

3.     I never really liked the snow-globe anyway

4.     If he does break it, it’s no big deal to clean it up

5.     So is it really worth making him miserable by taking it away?

But we’re not really worried about the child’s misery, are we? We’re more concerned about ourselves.

In the end, the odds are pretty good you’re going to let the toddler keep the snow-globe.

But the real issue isn’t the snow-globe; it’s the lesson you’ve just taught your child:

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