Someone told me once that they didn’t think children really had individual personalities. They were apparently under the impression that personalities came much later with age and that, for the most part, kids are kids.
Oh shit, I wish.
It would be so much easier when dealing with multiple children (shut up, two counts as multiple, technically.) if what “worked” on one child was guaranteed to produce the expected results on another.
My kids couldn’t be more different if I’d stolen one from the mall.
Take, for example, their methods of persuasion. Also known as, how they react when they get told “No”.
My son, Devin, will immediately go into debate mode. With the “why’s” and the “how come’s” and the “but Mom’s” and the “nobody loves me and I can’t wait until I’m grown up so I can boss everyone around! WAH!”
Ultimately a “Devin, I said no and so help me God if you ask me again I am going to take away every toy you have. And possibly shake you very, very hard just to calm myself” will suffice with the oldest. I mean yeah, he’ll be pissed, but in the end he will leave me alone. And really, isn’t that what effective parenting is all about?
And then there is Emma, the two year old.
*sigh*
The girl makes me tired just thinking about her.
Emma’s favorite debate tactic is deny! deny! deny! As in “deny you exist or have spoken words that are not pleasing to her”. If that girl were an interrogation technique she’d be Chinese Water Torture, slowly wearing you down until you simply can’t take anymore.
Her perseverance in the face of adversity would be impressive, if it wasn’t always directed at me.
For example…
Emma: Mommy, I wanna lollipop. (flashes big grin)
Me: No baby, no lollipop this early.
Emma: Can I have a lollipop?
Me: No
Emma: Can I have a lollipop? (still grinning)
Me: No. It’s 8:30 in the morning. We don’t eat candy in the morning.
Emma: Can I have a lollipop?
Me: No. I said no.
Emma: I want a lollipop.
Me: I’m sorry.
Emma: I want a lollipop.
Me: *trying to just ignore her*
Emma: Mommy. Mom. Mama. Mahhhhhhhhhh-meeeee.
Me: what?
Emma: I want a lollipop.
Me: No. No lollipop.
Emma: Can I have a lollipop?
Me: Emma! No! I said no. No lollipop.
Emma: Can I have a sucker?
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Posted in Kids and Parenting - Real Mommy Blogging
Reason 420,837,239,874 for me to avoid having children. The possibility that I go crazy and kill them for annoying me and then spend the rest of my life in the looney bin. :dazed:
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I took classes in early childhood development a few years ago, because I worked at a daycare with toddlers. One of the things that I learned is that most children’s personalities are completely developed by their third birthday. Isn’t that amazing? I loved that class.
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So Emma’s as stubborn as you are. Seems like just dessert to me.
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Well? Can she?
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I’m laughing about Devin. And just WHOOOOOOOOO do you think Mr. Master Debater sounds like? I’ll give you a hint, for brevity’s sake – YOU!
Give the little one a sucker, for God’s sake. Do you really think her teeth know what time it is and that it’s better for her teeth at 4 pm than at 8:30 am?
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yep, when i tell my dogs no they stop the unwanted behavior. or i put them out in the back yard for a while so that i can relax. i’ll stick with dogs.
britt’s mom speaks like a true grandmother. love it.
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I eat candy in the morning. like, at 4 in the morning.
of course, I’ve also been awake for 12 hours.
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:sex011:
and I just saw this and had to use it.
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I’d be so excited about having a girl I’d give her lollipops all day . . . and then have to pay for the fat camp later, not to mention the horrendous dental bills. Maybe I’m better off with the four boys. :help:
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Devin is you and Emma is too! In so many ways it’s not even funny.
Give her a lollipop!
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ya know, everyone is saying to just give the cute little girl what she wants. but what about teaching her that mommy means what she says? and about teaching her that she won’t always get her way with a smaile and eyelash batting? life is rough…get strong little one!
britt, stand strong!!
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No Candy Before Lunch! Bastards!
Kentucky Girl: nah, you just have to learn the line “step away from Mommy, before something very, very bad happens.”
This works best if you’ve perfected the Crazy Look.
Angel: the fuck?! I only have like 4 months to finish Emma’s personality!?!?!?
avitable: I refuse to argue. That is not the same thing!
RW: maybe later
Mom: excuse me? Did you just concede that candy before lunch may not kill you?!?!
Where the hell was all this rationality when I was a kid!?!?!
hellohahanarf: you mean hypocrite! HYPOCRITE I TELL YOU!!
The Chad: hehe, in that case… :violent029:
Honeybell: yes, see, it’s exactly that kind of thinking that got me into this mess!
Kristin Fogle: ah, yes. My personality is so big it could only be reproduced by splitting it in two.
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Hello: Damn straight!! I is tough mommy! Caving is for pussies! (and dads)
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LOL. I love when people post about things their kids say. It makes me laugh for hours – and normally makes me thank god that I don’t have children.
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OH MY!!! She is freakin’ adorable! And probably just like you were when you were her age. You have your work cut of for you!!!
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:lmfao: Can I have a sucker? Bwahahahaha. I love that kid. Brilliant!!! Brilliant!!!
Mine is addicted to popsicles. Doesn’t matter how cold it is, how inappropriate it is. So we switched to all fruit, no preservatives, no sugar, hippie pops that way it’s more like a serving of fruit.
And, your mom is right, I used to be a dental assistant and I can promise you, teeth do not wear watches. Honest! Although, this is coming from the mom who has permanently banned butterfingers and corn nuts from the house.
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When I come down to babysit I am going to bring eleven huge bags of lollipops and keep them in the car until y’all are gone to your seedy motel and then she and I are gonna hide them all over the house…dozens of secret stashes of lollipops so she can sneak one whenever she wants all the way up to when she graduates high school.
Plus I am going to sniff all your panties.
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I think Emma has been hanging out with that lawyer too much. All the debating….
And your mom is funny! I am pretty sure all the rules change when parents become grandparents.
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Our children. They have a mind-meld going. THEY ALL WANT TO BLEED US FOR OUR CANDY!
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I got candy whenever I wanted it. I also had cavities in 4th grade. 4TH DSFAJDSKFJ grade. Good Mommy. Not that my Mom was bad, just different issues to each Mom.
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LMAO!!! Your Emma and my Katie might as well be sisters! Wait till she is 5-8 and then the fun will start.
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sigh.
When you guys were little you were never allowed candy till after supper – candy or TV for that matter, remember?
Now I’m too freaking tired. Just give her the damn sucker and then make her brish her teeth. There are bigger battles coming and you need to save your strength.
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Oh my God! Your daughter and my son must have been twins separated at birth! My 7 yr. old has the same tactics.
It doesn’t change much, I’m sorry to say. My 17 yr. old still uses the same methods. :dazed:
Good luck!
J.
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Oh hell, I could tell what my girls were going to be like when they were still in the womb… I have spent the rest of the time trying to break their spirits so they appear normal…
If Angel is correct, then I have wasted the last 8-9 years…. and that is too depressing to contemplate
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As a grandmother I can now tell you that all those rules we fed to our children were “hogwash”. I truly love providing my GK’s chocolate cake for breakfast, fixing them whatever their little hearts desire for dinner (even if it is different from what the rest are eating)…
Just a fact of life..
PS would you please give the little darlin’ a sucker..she deserves it.
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Mine just wait until I am distracted then ask me, because they know I won’t pay attention to what they say and just say yes. :doh:
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i have lollipops whenever i want one. Of course i’ve got dentures….anyhow, i think what your’re supposed to do is stop saying no and offer something else instead; like an apple or carrot or something. Apparently that throws them off guard for a minute, long enough to forget they wanted a lollipop.
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I have Tootsie Pops before lunch all the time, so Emma can take consolation in the fact that she will eventually get to make her own brilliant nutritional decisions like me!
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Karen: really? These things are actually some of the reasons I’m glad I have them.
themuttprincess: I think I was more the debater than the wear you downer. LOL
it’s less her teeth and more her stomach and blood sugar I worry about!
Mr. Fab: I guess that means I should do laundry first.
Lynda: yes, apparently when you’re a grandparent you can become a RAGING HYPOCRITE!!!
QofD: must. fight. the power…
Brandi: thank you! LOL
Mindy: more fun than now? I don’t know. My oldest was much more fun at 2 then 5-8.
Mom: save my strength? Pfft. Saying no is effortless anymore.
HoosierGirl5: at what age is legal to lock them in their rooms?
Maman: hahahahaha – love this. Love it!
Trish K: I’m not listening lalalalalalala
Crazy Lady: that’s what they do with their ADD dad. lol
mari: yeah – or just no. I’m OK with that.
Dave2: if my kids grow up as cool as you, I will be thrilled!
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I meant that the attitude gets worse. Sorry.. I am not very good at sarcasm:)
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Well heeeey, looks like Emma’s going to be a Conservative Republican. Usually those proclivities don’t manifest until college. Good for her!
:cheesy:
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Mindy – oh yeah, that I agree with! The attitudes on both of them seem to grow daily!
Kelly: I’m sorry, we don’t grow those here.
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I’d really prefer if you didn’t.
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That sounds like my conversation with hubby, except he’s asking for sex :sex011:
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:lmfao: :lmao: at you both!
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