Me: “Ok Wonder Girl, time to get dressed, come over here and I’ll help you.”
Her: “Yeah, sure, in a little while, when I’ve finished teaching Elsa how to do this jigsaw puzzle.” (Elsa is a doll).
Me: “No WG, it’s time now. We only have a short time to get ready before we go out to pre school.”
Her: “Don’t worry, we won’t be late. Now I just need to dress baby and rearrange the dolls house.”
Me: “No WG, now please.”
Her: “No.” runs off giggling
Me: starting to lose my rag a teeny bit “WG, come here NOW.”
Her: giggles and starts to climb onto the window ledge.
Me: considering my options and finding myself lacking “I’m going to count to five”
Her: counts along with me.
Me: softly weeping “WG if you don’t come here right now then I will tell your pre school teacher you didn’t get dressed nicely”
Her: “Ok” comes to get dressed.
Tell me, why does the threat of someone else’s (and surely not as important a someone) displeasure work to get my daughter to do what she’s told. As opposed to, say, wanting to please her Mother.
Oh yes, we have hit three hard. When Wonder Girl was two I wrote this. Oh yes, she’s always been tenacious, so combining her natural tendency to do as she pleases with being the age of three means that basically she appears to be in charge. Oh yes, of course, I repeat in my head “I’m in charge” on a loop throughout most days. But deep inside I know it’s not true.
When I was a little girl my Dad bought me a Border Collie with boundless energy called Lucy. I took it for walks, but Lucy basically dragged me along behind as she enthusiastically sniffed other dogs bottoms and ran the streets. I had no control whatsoever and Wonder Girls childhood leaves me with a similar feeling.
The worst part? Basically she is just like her mother. Vivacious, stubborn and absolutely determined to get her own way. Funny, and cheeky she sees boundaries as something to be pushed. Yep, the apple didn’t fall far from that tree. Looking into a mirror as it disobeys is a challenge but I love her dearly and she me. Now if only she’d let me brush her blooming teeth!
I know exactly what you mean! My little man is 5 and seems to want to have everything on his terms and my Little Miss will soon be 2 and she’s starting to show her independent little self and run away giggling when I want her to do something a lot too! I have to keep reminding myself that I’m the mum, but I feel exactly like you! I also don’t understand why threatening to tell Little Man’s teacher about his poor behaviour works too, it’s totally unfair!
Brilliant photo! My daughter is a lot like this, and my son too, they just have no sense of urgency and I hate being late for anything, it gets me so stressed!