It was a warm afternoon in the yard, and little A Tong sat on a small chair, his tiny legs dangling off the edge. He had just finished playing, but now he was getting grumpy. His mom had taken away his favorite stick because he was banging it too hard on the ground.
A Tong did not like this at all! His little face scrunched up, his lips pouted, and suddenly—he threw his arms up in the air and let out a loud, angry scream!
“DAAAD!!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. His tiny hands waved wildly, as if calling for help. His big, round eyes scanned the yard, searching for his dad. He knew that when Mom didn’t listen to him, Dad would come to his rescue.
Mom stood with her arms crossed, watching his dramatic tantrum. “A Tong, you need to calm down,” she said firmly. “No yelling and no throwing a fit.”
But A Tong refused to listen! He clenched his fists, huffed loudly, and screamed even louder. “DAAAD!! MOM IS MEAN!!” His little body shook in frustration, his face turning red as he continued to protest.
Just then, Dad walked into the yard, looking confused. “What’s going on here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Before Mom could answer, A Tong jumped up from his chair and ran to Dad, wrapping his tiny arms around his leg. “Mom took my stick away! She’s being bad to me!” he whined.
Dad chuckled, lifting A Tong into his arms. “Oh, buddy, Mom just wants you to be safe. You can’t hit the ground too hard.”
Mom nodded. “That’s right. No tantrums, A Tong. You have to behave.”
A Tong pouted but slowly rested his head on Dad’s shoulder. Maybe he was overreacting… but still, he wanted his stick back!
