Thursday, April 03, 2008

Um... belated 400th post-a-versary...

Wow, somewhere in the last two weeks I lost my 400th post, it just passed me by. This is post 411. I can't believe I have had so much to say! I hope some of it was erudite and entertaining!

So... my darling nearing 7 year old daughter is driving me nuts. I am begging to think that she adds one repetition for each year of age. At three, I only had to ask her to do something three times, at four, it was four times. Now, as we near seven, I swear it is seven times, occasionally eight (everyone needs one to grow one after all).

"Monkey, have you brushed your teeth?"
"Uhh.... no."
"Okay, please go brush your teeth."
"Okay!"
A few seconds later, I will find her in her room with a doll, or hear her singing in the bathroom, or find her suddenly practicing her piano.
"Monkey! Brush your teeth!"
"But I don't want to."
"We go through this every day Monkey, if you are going to eat, you have to brush your teeth. That is your responsibility, they need to be kept healthy and clean. So please, go brush your teeth."
"Oh, all right."
She will disappear into her bathroom and I will wait, in vain, for the sound her her electric toothbrush. More minutes will pass.
"Monkey!! Why am I not hearing you brush your teeth?"
"Oh! I needed to use the potty!" or "I wanted to change my shirt!" or "I spilled water on the floor when I was filling up my tea set instead of doing what you have asked me to do so many times that you are beginning to feel like a trained monkey!"
"Okay, well, we are running out of time, so unless you would rather have stinky breath to breathe on people all day long, please brush your teeth!"
"Okay!"

Oh my god!! She does this for every single thing I request of her... everything!!
Homework, dinner, room cleaning, socks, shoes, jackets, baths, shower, etc. Everything takes more than one request, usually more than two! Sometimes I feel as though all I ever do is repeat myself!!
It makes me want to stomp my feet and scream "WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!!"
I will be driven bat-poo-crazy by the time she reaches sixteen, when I will have to write the great american novel, just to get her teeth cleaned!!

12 comments:

Missy said...

I completely feel your pain. My own 7 year old seems to have the same malady. I have taken to providing very specific instructions for each task. I now say go to the bathroom, get your toothbrush, put toothpaste on it and brush your teeth, etc. I often add, no playing on to the end of my instructions. It works better so far. Well...most of the time.

Woman with a Hatchet said...

I have no help to offer as I am in the same boat of crazy.

I just start taking away all treats. Last night she wanted me to read to her, but she pissed away all of her time singing in the bathroom (heh heh) and it was 7:43. I just said that if she was in bed by 7:30, I'd read to her, if not, no book. Oh well.

Then we had a mini screaming fit, whereupon I threated to take away today's playdate.

Ooh, stopped that right short.

Wendy said...

My almost 8 year old does the SAME things and I seriously am going nuts because of it. I usually end up yelling and hate that!!!

Amy Y said...

Feeling your pain too with my almost 7 year old...

Happy post~a~versary :) I've quite enjoyed reading your blog!

MarĂ­a said...

I'm already living like that! Bella is a horrible listener now.

And 400 posts! Whew! I'm only on 50 something!!

Congrats!

bundle-o-contradictions said...

I wish your home ease in dental routines in the future. I wish you mental wellness until that occurs. ;) bundle-o-contradictions

Valerie said...

ok all you mothers of 7-ish year olds, tell me what you did to get through 3!

Valerie said...

That's assuming you haven't blocked it out of memory....

Scylla said...

Lol!! Get through three!!!

You know that line in Parenthood?
"Dad, how did you do it?"
"I had a lot of help from Jack Daniels."

That's how I got through three!

Missy said...

Hmm..I was pregnant and/or dealing with new baby for most of three..so things are a little fuzzy. I recall it was harder than two!

Woman with a Hatchet said...

Three was tough but not impossible. The thing to remember Val, is you're being tag teamed. That makes it piles harder.

Um, also? Caitlin spent a LOT of time in her room crying until she could be nice again. Eventually we let her out. : )

Ooh and DAY CARE. They helped her a lot in the cool day care. No joke. Which is why is was worth that arm I gave them. I only miss the use of that arm every now and then....

Scylla said...

Seriously though, I think we used a book called Parenting Effectiveness Training when she was three.
Also, I was seeing a therapist who specialized in Child Psych, which helped alot.
But PET was very useful, so you might want to give it a read.
(There was some alcohol during the three era, and some yelling, and some migraines, and some tears, but we lived.)

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