I love him to death, but this little man of mine LOVES to push my buttons. S. and I have been battling with David on the potty front, but lately he has started to defy us every chance he gets. We can handle the fact that "no!" is sometimes a foreign word to him. We understand that the main objective for a toddler is to push, push, PUSH... as far as he can, just waiting to test our parental foritude. My goal lately has been sort of a mantra to myself...
"don't back down... don't back down.... I am the parent... I am in charge"
But this little bugger finds amusement and now pushes me for sport. He laughs sometimes, and boy does that get me going. Somehow, I find the ability to keep myself on an even keel. It's harder for Steve, and now I see why... they are so alike it's not funny.
After the 6th trip to the naughty chair last night (David sits there, not crying or anything), I end up thinking all night about what I am doing wrong. Are we too hard on him, not enough?? Will he grow up and blame me for not having raised him well?
This morning, I found myself having a conversation with David while driving him to preschool today. It takes 20 minutes door to door to get there, and the whole 20 minutes I lectured. When I asked him a question, he sounded like he was following, but who knows. Highlights went like this...
"David, Mommy gets so upset sometimes when you don't listen... Do you understand that I am always trying to be the best Mommy, but you test me beyond boundaries... I need for you to be a good boy, and not make me lose my mind because I told you to pick up your toys ten times... why did you need to pick up the doggie's poop in the yard when I specifically said NO... Mommy needs to not work , maybe that is the issue... maybe I need to drop out of the corporate world and work at Target as a checker, they get a discount, don't they???" etc. etc., so forth and so on
I knew he wouldn't understand or even remember what I was talking about, but it felt good just to say it.
As we were walking in the door at school, he looked concerned and said, "Mommy, I love yoooooou... are you ok?"
[insert crazed laughter here]
Maybe he does get it. Score one for the little guy for diffusing my ramblings. Score two for being cute.
End score
Mom=0
David=999
