Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Tempermental breakdown
Wow. The last few days have been something. Her willfulness is bumping up against my willfulness. Ouch. The issue has been her coat. The last two days we stopped by the store on the way home. She goes in, takes off her coat, and then wants to go outside through the front door. That's when we have our first fight. Once you're outside she happily walks down the street. Then she never wants to come back, so that ends in tears with her being carried back. We go back in the store, she takes off her coat. But now we have to drive home. "Fine, you can ride home without your coat, but if you want to get on the slide you'll have to put it back on." So we get home and then I put it back on, fighting her for her own good. (She has a rattle in her chest the last few days so I'm serious about this)

Today she stands in front of her slide with her coat on forever, just looking around. Finally she calls "Mommy!" I'm standing just inside the open door, unloading the dishwasher and watching her. Once she has my attention she looks at me and takes off her coat. I tell her to put her coat back on or she's coming in. Complete meltdown. So I pick her up and carry her in. She cries, and cries, and cries. Finally I think, I've got your number girlie. I grab a pullover jacket she can't remove and put it on her as she curses me mightily. Then I send her back outside again. Hah!

Later, we face off on the issue of her throwing things off her highchair, either to the dogs or to the floor. Daddy and I are both tired of this. She usually does it so fast you can't stop her. But she'll look right at you and do it. So tonight, I grabbed her hand several times when she went to throw her goldfish crackers. NO. And then we had THE STARE-OFF. I got down to her level, right in front of her face and said firmly, "No" and just stared at her. And she stared right back, until the lip started to quiver...and the eyes started to water...and then she started to cry. I think I was supposed to feel bad about that, but honestly, I felt like I'd finally won one.
Written at 7:56 PM by Highlandgal.
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