At five and six-and-a-half, mine are just beginning to be able to take those kinds of things into account - "if I don't get ready on time, I may not have time to eat a leisurely breakfast; if I don't nap now, I will probably be tired and therefore really cranky later" - so it's possible that he isn't?

But it's like I tell Beau, it's about the type of relationship we want to have with our kids. I want to have one that is as collaborative as possible, one in which they learn to rely on our judgement because they can understand and trust that we're actually looking out for their best interests. And I don't mind letting them fail every now and then! It's just, I'd rather do it this way than to be a "my way or the highway" parent.

Which means, of course, dealing with things like this. >.