There was a little girl
Who had a golden curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good
She was VERY good
But when she was bad, she was horrid.
First, let me preface this by saying that my daughter is NOT horrid. This is a nursery rhyme that I've known for a long time and I believe my mom used to joke that it was about me....well, wouldn't you know....I find this little song very funny now for a whole new reason.
I never expected to have such a strong-willed child. I really don't know why I didn't...I guess I assumed that since I am fairly laid back and Ryan is as well, that our child would be that way....HA!
As it turns out, I think she has more opinions that the two of us combined. This proves to be a challenge occasionally. (daily, actually) Now, I think it is a good thing that she has a very vibrant personality...she keeps us laughing and on our toes. We want her to be independent, but we also want her to understand the concepts of respect, authority and manners. It is mentally exhausting sometimes to realize that it is OUR responsibility to help mold and guide this young mind.
"Consistency is key." This is what we keep hearing...from books, from parents, from classes about raising children, I'm sure it's even on Oprah. I couldn't agree more...I've seen it work. But it's hard... It's not fun to tell my child "no" and it's not fun to discipline her in any form or fashion. And it's certainly not fun to see her act out...
But today as I watched her crawl into Ryan's lap and curl up, I took a deep breath...I've known since the moment she entered this world that it would be worth it all....but sometimes it helps to be reminded.
I can't say my parents didn't warn me (with a smile) that parenting isn't always going to be easy.
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