Cuddling

Splinter was attempting to clean up the dinner dishes. Three of his four young sons were playing in the living room. The youngest, however, seemed intent on mischief. First he pulled a pot off the counter and proceeded to bang on it quite loudly. When Splinter retrieved the pot, Mikey ran to the table and knocked off a blue cup full of water. Splinter sternly warned the small turtle not to do that again. For a few moments, the mischievous tot was quiet, before reaching up and knocking off the red cup of water. Frustrated to the end of his patience, Splinter rounded on his young son, demanding: “Do I need to spank you!” He was rather taken aback when Mikey cheerful chirped “Yes!”

Lifting the little one up, Splinter turned him over and swatted his behind twice. “When I say no, I mean it!” he sternly admonished his son. Then Splinter had an epiphany. Pulling out one of the chairs at the table, he sat down with Mikey in his lap. “Do you want to cuddle?” he asked curiously. Immediately snuggling in and putting his thumb in his mouth, Mikey nodded. After a few minutes, he had had his fill, and was wriggling off his father’s lap to go join his brothers.

Splinter watched his youngest son leave, and thought about what had just happened. Apparently, all Mikey had wanted was some attention. Chuckling, Splinter decided that next time he would try to recognize that fact before the tot had to resort to purposely getting in trouble.