The girl knows what she wants, when she wants it, and exactly how she wants it. I know there are more advantages to being strong-willed than there are disadvantages, but raising a VERY strong-willed child is sometimes challenging. It's often humorous. It's often entertaining. And it's sometimes frustrating.
Avery Claire, you are Miss Sassy. Miss Independent. Miss Determined. I pray that you are always independent. I pray that you are always so diligent in reaching your goals. They may just be climbing into the dining room chair today. But who knows what your goals will be in 20 years. I pray that your strong-willed nature as a child transforms into a willingness to stand up for what you believe in.
Daddy and I love every single second of life with you. It's absolutely never dull.
For example,
- She is no longer satisfied with just the empty water bottle to pretend. She must now have the top, also. And she knows you've got it, so don't try to hide it in your pocket or under the couch cushion.
- She will climb onto that chair/the toilet/the stool. Just let her do it and stand there with her for a minute. She will not forget. She will come back to try again.
- She knows the spoons are in that drawer. And she's grabbed a container of applesauce from the cabinet. Go ahead and give her a spoon. She may just eat 2 bites, but she really wants it. Tonight, she really needed a spoon to eat her raisins.
- She knows that every pen has a top. She will work to get it off. And she will try to write on just the paper. But it may get on the floor. And her belly. {And her chair, if you remember that post.}
Look at that hair. Oh, my! It's growing like a weed, but I don't know if it will ever grow long enough to stay out of her eyes!
Our biggest struggle to date has been hitting. Yes, this sweet, precious adorable girl has become a hitter. She had to learn that at daycare, right?!
Usually she is doing it to be funny. If we are playing, she will just slap at my face. Not in a hard way, but in a playful way. Sometimes, though, she will do it if she is getting in trouble or not getting her way. At first, she would just do it to me. Her Daddy said, "She doesn't do that to me!" Then I watched as he knelt down to explain to her that we DO NOT hit. And she hit at his face. So much for that!
We have spanked her. We have put her in time out. I popped her hand with a wooden spoon. Each punishment devastates her. For about 2 minutes. After we hug and explain again that we cannot hit, she gives us a big 'ole grin. And she hits again. Last night, we decided to ignore it. The spanking isn't helping. The timeouts aren't helping. The wooden spoon isn't helping. Last night, she hit me. I asked her if she wanted me to pop her hand with the wooden spoon. She looked at me, grinned, and nodded yes. The girl is strong-willed, I tell ya!
All of these punishments have worked with everything else she has gotten in trouble for. But the hitting continues to be funny. So maybe if we ignore it, this phase will end. Soon. Right?
Her nightly ritual this week has been looking at my US weekly. She loves to look at Randy Jackson's dinosaur jacket. The fashion police don't think it's too cute. But Avery Claire loves it!
For example,
- She is no longer satisfied with just the empty water bottle to pretend. She must now have the top, also. And she knows you've got it, so don't try to hide it in your pocket or under the couch cushion.
- She will climb onto that chair/the toilet/the stool. Just let her do it and stand there with her for a minute. She will not forget. She will come back to try again.
- She knows the spoons are in that drawer. And she's grabbed a container of applesauce from the cabinet. Go ahead and give her a spoon. She may just eat 2 bites, but she really wants it. Tonight, she really needed a spoon to eat her raisins.
- She knows that every pen has a top. She will work to get it off. And she will try to write on just the paper. But it may get on the floor. And her belly. {And her chair, if you remember that post.}
Look at that hair. Oh, my! It's growing like a weed, but I don't know if it will ever grow long enough to stay out of her eyes!
Our biggest struggle to date has been hitting. Yes, this sweet, precious adorable girl has become a hitter. She had to learn that at daycare, right?!
Usually she is doing it to be funny. If we are playing, she will just slap at my face. Not in a hard way, but in a playful way. Sometimes, though, she will do it if she is getting in trouble or not getting her way. At first, she would just do it to me. Her Daddy said, "She doesn't do that to me!" Then I watched as he knelt down to explain to her that we DO NOT hit. And she hit at his face. So much for that!
We have spanked her. We have put her in time out. I popped her hand with a wooden spoon. Each punishment devastates her. For about 2 minutes. After we hug and explain again that we cannot hit, she gives us a big 'ole grin. And she hits again. Last night, we decided to ignore it. The spanking isn't helping. The timeouts aren't helping. The wooden spoon isn't helping. Last night, she hit me. I asked her if she wanted me to pop her hand with the wooden spoon. She looked at me, grinned, and nodded yes. The girl is strong-willed, I tell ya!
All of these punishments have worked with everything else she has gotten in trouble for. But the hitting continues to be funny. So maybe if we ignore it, this phase will end. Soon. Right?
Her nightly ritual this week has been looking at my US weekly. She loves to look at Randy Jackson's dinosaur jacket. The fashion police don't think it's too cute. But Avery Claire loves it!
We haven't done much in the way of decorating for fall. But I do love my animal print pumpkins.
2 comments:
I would say ignore it, too. She'll grow out of it. I love the pic where she has written on her belly!!!
Nana loves and misses our little Miss Independent!! I am amazed at how fast her hair is growing. I hope we get to see you all very soon! Love the new pumpkins! Love to you all, Nana
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