further proof that they are listening!
Amalia has been on a serious roll these days, saying and doing funny things, and really coming into her own in terms of her personality.
She will be 3 in a few short months, but she sometimes acts as if she's going into her teens, or like she's already someone's mother!
At night our goodnight routine is usually 1.)read a book 2.) say a prayer 3.) goodnight "family" kiss all together. Usually there is a count down to the family kiss. Amalia started this tradition where she does the count down and adds a little exclamation before the kiss, for example the first time it was 3-2-1 OCTOPUS! Cute and funny and of course Domingo has to one up her and exclaim something himself. But lately Amalia's countdown is 3-2-1 "wuv". (She is still not pronouncing ls effectively, but the ws are ridiculously cute, particularly in the love countdown.)
Domingo once again had to one up Amalia and his countdown is 3-2-1 "rainbow love." It's all just too much. But that doesn't compare with Amalia's exclamation tonight.
Today in the car, Chris was saying something to her and she said matter of factly "Daddy don't talk to me. I don't want you to talk to me. Here are your choices..."
I'm sure I have listed her choices to her in such a matter of fact tone at least a hundred times. Choices between brushing teeth or sitting on the naughty step, or playing with us or continuing to cry in a tantrum in her room and the like. But to hear that parenting rhetoric parroted back with such confidence, such bossiness, that was really something else.
I don't really know where she gets that from since really Chris and I are not super assertive bossy people. I might have been more so in my youth, I would have to demur to my parents and older sister on that one, but I can guarantee I never told my mom or dad what to do in such an off handed and natural way, never for a moment thinking this kind of language and tone were not appropriate for a 2 year old to be using at all, let alone with her parents. I guess I should be pleased that we are raising such a self-confident child who understands that this is how you talk to people who are being unreasonable, you have a choice, either do what is right or suffer the consequences, it is all personal choice.
As soon as the words, "you have a choice" came out of her mouth I turned to Chris with a smirk on my face and said "are you listening to this?" But any hope of seriousness or trying to make it a "teaching moment" to explain that this is not how children speak to their parents, children do not set the rules, went out the window the minute she set out our "choices". What were those choices you ask?
"One: you can kiss me. Two: you can hug me. Three: you can let me eat chocolate."
Given those choices, how can you not just love this kid?
She will be 3 in a few short months, but she sometimes acts as if she's going into her teens, or like she's already someone's mother!
At night our goodnight routine is usually 1.)read a book 2.) say a prayer 3.) goodnight "family" kiss all together. Usually there is a count down to the family kiss. Amalia started this tradition where she does the count down and adds a little exclamation before the kiss, for example the first time it was 3-2-1 OCTOPUS! Cute and funny and of course Domingo has to one up her and exclaim something himself. But lately Amalia's countdown is 3-2-1 "wuv". (She is still not pronouncing ls effectively, but the ws are ridiculously cute, particularly in the love countdown.)
Domingo once again had to one up Amalia and his countdown is 3-2-1 "rainbow love." It's all just too much. But that doesn't compare with Amalia's exclamation tonight.
Today in the car, Chris was saying something to her and she said matter of factly "Daddy don't talk to me. I don't want you to talk to me. Here are your choices..."
I'm sure I have listed her choices to her in such a matter of fact tone at least a hundred times. Choices between brushing teeth or sitting on the naughty step, or playing with us or continuing to cry in a tantrum in her room and the like. But to hear that parenting rhetoric parroted back with such confidence, such bossiness, that was really something else.
I don't really know where she gets that from since really Chris and I are not super assertive bossy people. I might have been more so in my youth, I would have to demur to my parents and older sister on that one, but I can guarantee I never told my mom or dad what to do in such an off handed and natural way, never for a moment thinking this kind of language and tone were not appropriate for a 2 year old to be using at all, let alone with her parents. I guess I should be pleased that we are raising such a self-confident child who understands that this is how you talk to people who are being unreasonable, you have a choice, either do what is right or suffer the consequences, it is all personal choice.
As soon as the words, "you have a choice" came out of her mouth I turned to Chris with a smirk on my face and said "are you listening to this?" But any hope of seriousness or trying to make it a "teaching moment" to explain that this is not how children speak to their parents, children do not set the rules, went out the window the minute she set out our "choices". What were those choices you ask?
"One: you can kiss me. Two: you can hug me. Three: you can let me eat chocolate."
Given those choices, how can you not just love this kid?
posted by Alice at
7:00 PM
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