Oldest did it again... She is doing things all by herself without asking first and I finally figured it out-- she waits until I am occupied with one of the other girls before she goes on her mission! Clever girl!
We have a few plants around the house and Oldest had been bugging me to help her plant her own plant. So last week, one of the plants I snipped off and set in water to grow roots was ready to be transplanted. I let her pick out a pot from the bunch I have and she saw where I kept the dirt when I went to get it. We planted it, watered it and she put in in the window, all proud of her new "baby".
Today, while I was busy bathing Middle after she had a poop accident in her underwear (not quite poopy trained), Oldest sees it as the perfect time to do something all by herself! She gets another pot, drags the bag of dirt out and takes a bag of seeds from my box of garden seeds and proceeded to plant some seeds. By the time I caught her, she was done and had just finished watering it. Want to know what she planted? Onions!
I explained again that I really wanted her to ask first before she does things on her own. I am proud that she wants to do all these things, that she feels capable and she actually knows how to do them. I just want her to let me know so I can supervise her. I would feel terrible if she did something without me knowing and if she got hurt, I wouldn't hear her cries. Between the chatter of the TV and the squeals of my other two, I would not hear Oldest if I wasn't nearby.
Before I put her to bed tonight, I sat next to her and we had a little talk. I told her how proud I was of her and that she was such a big girl now, but she still needs to ask for things first. Then I asked her some questions, pop quiz style-- What do you do if you are hungry? What do you do if you are thirsty? If you want to play outside, what do you do first? Ask Mom or Dad!
On a funny note, Hubby is a Navy man, as was his father and uncle. He was in the Navy for over 12 years before being honorably discharged and he speaks "Navy". I don't have much experience being around Military men except for what I see on TV and I know they tend to have a language of their own. It has rubbed off on my girls... I was scolding Middle and wagging my finger at her, when she pipes up, "Watch it with your finger there chief!" How can I stay mad after a line like that??? She is 3 1/2 and knows she was cute when she said it, too!
Wow, you brought tears to my eyes as I read this post...of admiration. You are such a lovely mom! I loved how you dealt with Oldests' latest escapade (I'm telling you that girl is destiend for greatness!) and I am going to try and remember to adopt this method with number 3 son next time I feel cross with him.
ReplyDeleteDJ-- Aww, Thanks! I have been trying to not yell and scream like some sort of banshee and making the girls scared of me. I want them to feel like they can come to me and tell me anything and know that I will react calmly and thoughtfully. Talking at night seems to work and then they go to sleep with my words floating in their heads...
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming back!
OMGOSH that was the cutest thing EVER about what your daughter said - chief!! Oh man she she's got you pegged.
ReplyDeleteReally how COULD you stay mad? I would be a puddle.
Great post. :)
That Navy talk was about the cutest thing I have heard in a long time!
ReplyDeleteMy son was the big do-it-yourself one in my family but he comes by it naturally. When I first started my blog, my husbands name was Do-It-Yourself-Guy!
um yeah, we don't have any Navy 'round here but you better believe I'll be using that line left and right now...hoping my girl chooses that phrase to pick up rather than the WTF that seems to fly out of my mouth with wild abandon every time I find her climbing on some new piece of furniture that I thought for sure she couldn't climb! Now I shall look at her sternly and say "Easy there Chief, don't want you falling down and getting hurt"
ReplyDeleteThank you. Funny, endearing, wonderful.
Wow! Five years old and planting onion? Aren't kids amazing? My oldest is four, and she is determined to do everything by herself. Until it comes to something she doesn't want to do, like pick up her toys, make her bed, put on her shoes, brush her teeth... How can kids be so independent and yet be such complete slugs at the same time? It's a mystery.
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