I used to say “Stop” or “Come Here” or “Sit please” and she would listen but now… not so much.
She screams, shakes her little fists, bangs on the table, points to the door and yells “Go!” or simply looks me straight in the eyes and says “No!”
Half the time I feel the need to smack her for being belligerent and the other half I can’t help bursting into a fit of laughter. She is not even two and already thinks she knows her mind. Mind you, I am an educated mom… in fact, I have my Early Childhood Education Diploma, a BA Honours in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education. I spent the first 18 years of my career caring for children and giving parents advice on how to raise and nurture their children. So I find it strangely ironic that I am now a mom who is finding it hard to discipline my own child. I know that she is spoiled sometimes. I hate to refuse her when she wants the simple things. Maybe we are giving her mixed messages and she needs more consistency? For example, sometimes when she runs away in a grocery store, her dad chases after her and makes her giggle with joy and anticipation. Now, whenever we go to any store and she asks to “Walk”, she sets off on an amazingly fast and agile sprint to hide from us. This is extremely dangerous and she is fearless. One time she ran outside into the parking lot and thank God for my hubby who is fit and fast!
I know that I should be more stern with her. I can’t even get her to stay in a time-out like her daddy does. She listens to him and just sits crying in the corner of our couch. With me, she chatters away and says things like “Mama, luff you, kiss, sit, yes, up, yes, walk, yes” then she gets up and comes over to hug me. I melt when she smiles at me and I think that I am the biggest sucker as I read what I am writing.
I just have to come to terms with knowing that I can’t be perfect at everything. I also need to acknowledge the fact that she needs a good hand slap once in a while when she does something bad or dangerous, I just prefer my husband does it instead of me.
However, daddy travels in July and I am worried to be by myself with my little angel. Can you imagine? I don’t think we will be going anywhere since it is becoming increasingly difficult to carry her (I am almost 7 months pregnant now) and she kicks like a professional soccer player!
I will just have to swallow the big lump of “love” and just be strong. Funny how I have fired people, had several serious confrontations, experienced break-ups and grieved deaths in my life but this… this one thing called “Discipline” is becoming one of the biggest challenges…
I know, I know… wait until she’s thirteen. I know. I was an awful teenager but you know what, I just want to enjoy the affection she pours on me when she wants something. I guess putting on her favourite cartoon for a while or staying up a bit longer to read a book aren’t the biggest problems in the world. I want to choose my battles wisely and with her in particular, I would rather spend my time holding her than battling anyway.
If you have advice on what worked for you in the discipline department, please do share your strategies…
Until then,
SMartignani
smartignani 