We all are familiar with road rage, but let me explain bubblegum rage. Ironically, bubblegum rage occurs most frequently in the car, where I am trapped with the bubblegum beast. It starts with a matter of fact conversation with my 5-year old who can smell gum. She’s like a drug-sniffing dog. I can’t hide it from her, she knows I am chewing gum. 

Then, we progress into the incessant asking for gum phase. This is where I repeatedly explain gum belongs only 2 places; in your mouth or in the trash. I have explained this many times and have still found the chewed gum under the couch, behind couch cushions, stuck to the car door. I actually fear bringing her to the city because I am fairly certain she would take the disgusting chewed, petrified gum stuck everywhere, take it and chew it. 

My fear is real because there have been times where I didn’t give her gum, but noticed she was chewing it. And, like the gum stuck everywhere, this thought sticks in my mind. 

It ends when I firmly deliver my, “no, you can’t have gum”, in my most stern Mom voice. Her moment of silent dismay quickly moves full throttle into bubblegum rage. Screaming, kicking, as if I’ve denied her something far more serious; a life threatening gum situation. 

At this point, I turn the radio up and try to drown out the bubblegum rage. I’ve learned there’s no point in trying to reason with, calm, or explain why she can’t have gum. Heck, if she’s lucky, maybe she stuck a chewed piece from a couple weeks ago in the cup holder of the car and can just chew that.