Busted by my 4 year old!

We were on our way to meet my parents. We were meeting up in Wisconsin for a waterpark rendezvous. We were suppose to leave at 8, it was 8:45 and no one had breakfast. Thankfully, there is a McDonald's on my way to the freeway!

I placed our order, hotcakes and a number #2 with a large diet dr. pepper. (up it goes on the screen).
Speaker: If everything is correct on the screen, pull forward.
Me: It's not correct, I would like a diet dr. pepper.
(She add a 2nd dr. pepper)
Me: That's not right, i would like a diet dr. pepper, not a dr. pepper.
Speaker: It is right, pay at the next window.
Me: The screen isn't correct, I would like a diet dr. pepper, you have dr. pepper.
Speaker: Do you want one dr. pepper or two.
Me: I'll take two, that's fine, but I would like them to be DIET DR. PEPPER.
(Finally, the screen changes from Dr. Pepper to Diet Dr. Pepper)

As we pull away from the speaker to the first window a voice behind me says, "Mommy, that wasn't kind. You need to be nice. That wasn't very respectful."

<crickets>

She was right! I was late, frustrated, impatient, unkind, and disrespectful. I had 5 seconds to decide what lesson I was going to teach my daughter. I could justify my actions. After all, Diet Dr. Pepper does sound different than Dr. Pepper, she obviously wasn't listening to my order. I do speak loudly and clearly. But, I decided to just admit the obvious. I wasn't kind. I wasn't nice. I wasn't respectful.

It's difficult to admit when you are wrong, and its even harder when your child points out how wrong you really were...

Before we got to the first window, I turned around and said, "Abigail, you are right. Mommy wasn't being kind. I'm sorry for being disrespectful. I shouldn't have talked to her like that."

Abigail, "That's okay, I forgive you."

I took a deep breath, pulled up to the next window where we got our hotcakes, #2, and two large Diet Dr. Pepper's, and we were on our way.

I am so thankful my daughter will stand up for what is right, even if that means telling me I'm wrong. I pray I will never be above correction and that she will always speak up for those being treated unkindly.

What are you teaching your children? Do you foster an environment where your children feel safe pointing out the error of your ways? Or are you too prideful? I don't think I have felt more ashamed of my behavior than I did in that moment when my 4 year old, told me how wrong I was--HUMBLING!