Dramatic

In the car a couple of weeks ago my son accidentally pinched his finger in his lunchbox and started fake-howling in pain. After he calmed down, I asked him a question:

Me: Do you know what the word "dramatic" means?

Chipmunk: No. What does it mean?

Me: "Dramatic" is what you call it when you act like something is more than it really is, like when you cry out in so much pain over a tiny little pinch. It's when you act more than is necessary.

At this point, I was patting myself on the back for deftly getting my point across to Chipmunk about perhaps toning down the dramatics. Cut back to the conversation in the car...

Me: So let's try again...you just pinched your finger in your lunchbox, what do you say?

Chipmunk: (pausing for a thoughtful minute before answering)...AAaaaaah!!! My finger!!! It's going to fall OFF!!!! AAAaaaaaah!!! IT FLEW OUT THE WINDOW!!!! I'll NEVER see my FINGER AGAIN!!!!

He then proceeded to cry real tears over how he would never see his finger again all because of his lunchbox.

I, on the other hand, sighed and decided that veiled admonishments just don't seem to have a place in parenting...