We seem to be in a parenting stage in which Butterfly does not see the need to do what Mommy and Daddy say. We have been discussing obedience for quite a while. Since she is so verbal for her age and sounds much older than she actually is, it is sometimes difficult to know how much to expect from her. After all, she won't be three until the end of next month.Today at the library, Butterfly found it an impossible task to stay beside me and instead decided to run up and down the rows in a very un-quiet manner. Consequently, when we got to the car, she was not allowed to look at a new book she had picked out herself. After the drama of her tears passed, we had this conversation while driving to the grocery store:
B: Mommy, can you just be happy?
M: Yes, I can. And can you obey me? (she knows what that word means)
B: (shaking her head no)
M: You know, if you don't obey me, bad things will happen, like time out or not getting to look at your book.
B: I don't want bad things to happen!
M: Then you should obey me. If you obey me, good things will happen!
B: Why can't you just be a good mommy? Why don't you not ask me [to do] things?
M: (crickets chirping)
My husband said (when I called him in shock) that it sounds like something he would have said. Well, then.
4 comments:
Well...she and Noah would be fabulous friends :o) He just turned three. Anytime we ask/tell him not to do something he wants to do, he shrugs his shoulders, squinches up his eyes, puts on his Mr. Charming grin, and say...
"But I have to, Mommy. I have to."
Terrific threes!
It is hard to know what to expect when they are ahead in certain skills. At least she tried to explain another option for you!
Wow. Something to look forward to.
Are you *still* speechless? You haven't said anything here since August! At least I get to talk to you through Facebook :o)
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