Toddlers With Strong Wills

By | June 28, 2011

Toddlers With Strong Wills

I am downtrodden.

I am fatigued.

I am drained…

By the two and a half year old that I birthed.

Why is it hard to believe that something so infuriating, so obstinate, so—aggravating…came OUT of me??!

I mean, it hurt. Right??

My mom shrugs and says this is what she cursed wished upon me. (And then she cackles)…not really. But I wonder.

[For the record, I do remember several times that she warned me of this phenomenon occurring twicefold]. [And also for the record, I don’t think of my mom as a witch]. [And finally, for the record, these brackets look awful].

My mind can’t help but think that someone stirred a giant spoon over a brimming cauldron and the clouds spit forth this tremendous fiend upon me.

In the form of a darling, curly haired girl.

Toddlers With Strong Wills

These very “clouds” conspired that I would battle an irreconcilable force, and made a single afternoon IMPOSSIBLE for me!!!

******

All she had to do was say “sorry.” That’s it.

It took FIVE AND A HALF HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

…to say, “Sorry.”

She mouthed “Ssssss” like a serpent, but would not say the word.

She asked to go to bed.

She asked for a pillow.

And a bandaid. For her “suddenly scraped knee.” (Wha???)

But sorry??

Oh no.

Alas. That took five and a half freaking hours.

And then she finally said it.

The lightbulb went off. The angels sang. The creepy feet curled up under the house.

Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead!!!

And I collapsed. Good thing we’re at the inlaws house or Chaucer would have worn a poopy diaper til morning.

That wiped me out like nothing else. What in the world??! Who gave these munchkins such power to wield over their poor, exhausted parents?

But before you go judging me, know this:

I won it, goshdangit.

She said sorry.

And I won.

She said sorry. Even though It. Took. Five. And. A. Half. Hours. And. I. Cried. And. Beat. My. Head. Against. The. Wall.

I won.

And maybe I was the only one crying, but it happened.

17 thoughts on “Toddlers With Strong Wills

  1. hilljean

    Ah yes…it’s amazing isn’t it? There are still times when my children will not apologize and then I have to sit them down (they are boys…boys are SO different from girls in their thinking) and explain. They usually feel really bad after I explain what they did or said hurt their mother, it is not like when they were two and seriously didn’t get it. But, even still…to this day I understand banging my head against a wall. It gets better when they can talk more and understand the “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” thing. ????

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  2. hilljean

    Yah, I’m pretty sure she knew EXACTLY what she was doing! It was quite a day.

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  3. hilljean

    Good for you Hill! Agh breaking a child’s will is the hardest ever! One time my little nephew was getting his will broken after hitting me with a spoon and not saying sorry. All he had to do was sit on my lap and say sorry. He was balling crying because he didn’t want to say it and every time he wouldn’t say it he would be taken to his room, given a spanking, and then set right back on my lap. I cried with him it was so horrible. But, in the end he learned to obey his father and mother, to say sorry and not to hit aunty Em with a spoon. Way to go Hill.

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  4. hilljean

    Which means you’ll probably deal with this same crap when its your turn ???? haha.

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  5. hilljean

    Aww mom. You shouldn’t be offended. I am cackling over Coco’s future daughter right now. Muahahahah! I hope it sounds like Izma.

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  6. hilljean

    Thanks for reading! Well, beware. If you ever do have kids…it comes back to bite you in the butt.

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  7. hilljean

    It’s nice to know I’m not the only one going through this, My mom warned me too. Thanks for visiting my blog. I can tell your personality by your writing. It’s amazing how you can turn your arthritic condition around into a positive one. I’m sure it’s not, but you get what I’m saying. You’re a strong woman and a strong mama.

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  8. hilljean

    Hysterical! When my daughter was very young (3-4) she learned to say complete sentences in order NOT to say Yes Mam or No Mam or Yes Sir or No Sir. “I do not want any.” not “No Mam.” Never said it.

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  9. hilljean

    Yah, that is so awful to be on the receiving end! I think Leann suffered more than me over it.

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  10. hilljean

    Cackled??? Cackled???(higher pitch this time). Please save that descriptive term for about 25 years from now! Enjoyed the post – but was highly distracted by that unfortunate choice of verbiage:)

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  11. hilljean

    oh hill. all i have to say is. I’m glad you won!!!! I’ve seen that stubborn streak in her, and she finally cracked! WOOHOO! Hang in there moma…so would i rather be in your shoes for 5.5 hrs of stubbornness or the constantly peed panties for who knows how long?! I think we both have had it yesterday…love you!

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  12. hilljean

    Eww. What a choice. Coco’s Devil Day or potty training AGAIN?? Can I just die?

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  13. hilljean

    My parents always tell me of an extremely similar story about me as a three year old terror. So, rest assured… I think I turned out all right ????

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  14. hilljean

    I hope. I have a feeling she will pull this a few more times. Hopefully not–but she’s a strong one! Thanks for stopping by!

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  15. hilljean

    lol I’ve been through this but I caved, good for you Mama! Now she knows you mean business!

    Reply

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