At 20 months old things are getting challenging. The boy is smart, willful, thinks he knows everything and wants to do everything for himself. That combined with mom and dad's laziness (and mommy's growing belly) is the makings of disaster.
Today is the day we buckle down. All eating will take place at the table. Bad behavior will only get one "no" and then we are getting up and doing something about it. So far today (and granted it's a work day so it has only been a few hours so far), we managed to eat dinner at the table in a timely and nondramatic fashion and have only had a few minutes of crying despite several very firm "no's". He does get it, he really does.
This all reminds me that parenting is work, especially with a smart stubborn child. It's HARD work a lot of the time. When we are exhausted after work, that is when the hardest work starts. When we just want to eat on the couch or sit here and wonder what that child is doing and marvel at the naughtiness of it all, that's when it's time to get motivated and get up.
I want to try to keep a record of my successes and failures so I've chosen this spot to do it. This child is the most important thing in the universe and I am going to put in all the effort I need to go make sure he is the person I know he can be. Even when I am exhausted and falling apart, I will get my ass up and try my best.
No comments:
Post a Comment