.:of rules and mannerisms:.

yesterday while spending my time tabbing (you know how it goes, you've sure been there... one page, then a tab, and it leads to another and there goes your evening on mostly useless stuff that only helps if you like to end your sentences with: "did you know that?") links from facebook I stumbled on a post from a parent... 

yep, education involved I'm sure to read it... so there I clicked happily to know about the thought of parents and the likes on children education... sure, the word that triggered my curiosity mostly was the gist: "tyrant"... uhum, I've been known to be called such by my in-laws every now and then... but the truth of it is that I really don't get offended or care about it because mostly I trust my own judgement when it comes to raising my child...

brush, brush like a grown-up

nopz, I am not perfect, far from it... the doubts and the questioning and the guilt are there sometimes, but in the end of the day I'm doing the best I can according to the principles I follow and I want my daughter to understand and follow willingly... what comes down to the point: I may look like a tyrant sometimes, but I really just explain what is going on so that the little lady can decide for herself later in life... 

meaning, while I'm sure something is bound to stick with her in the long run I stand my ground when it comes to small important disputes... you see, she has no problems with brushing teeth and washing hands, she really loves them and is quite independent, whereas showering is a huge pandora box... somedays she loves it, somedays she screams all the time... and then you think, sure, temperatures being about 14°C outside one day with no shower won't kill your 2 year old, right you are, my friend, but it would kill the principle: if it is necessary you do it, even if you are no willing to do it... this is one of the principles...

same goes to chatting, you may not like the topic but respect the people involved... let's say it has involved one or two meltdowns in the middle of the street, but again, I'm not the one backing down and it seems like she's grasped the concept... luckily, shopping has never been an issue, she gets stuff, I ask politely for her to put it back in its place because we don't really need it and there it goes, done... I let her help with the things we need though... she feels important because she is helping, and smiles over her accomplishment (and so do I)...

regarding eating habits it is a battle field, this is the area where the tyrant comes to the surface... but really, who in their right minds want their children surviving on chocolate and lollypops? only the grandparents... yeah, I know... we have reduced our lunch together to once or twice a week, even though I eat alone with the little pea most days and my in-laws live a 5 minutes walk from our home... the principle is easy, you are hungry you eat; you don't know it, try; you don't like it, wait for the next meal... please behave, I can hear you calling me names... for the sake of honesty, there are days when she eats nothing but crackers because she doesn't approve of the menu... there are meals filled with mugs and blergs, but also with little food left on the plate... the thing is, she is not getting chocolate or second options because she doesn't want to try a new dish, nor is she getting sweets, unless we are going up or down the mountain and she needs to keep swallowing...

sunday lunch, yummy

so even though my in-laws frown upon my refusing to cook a  different dish to cater for my daughters eating preferences, I believe that in the end  she will trully know what she likes or not because she's been offered a bit of everything... in other words, she knows her options and it is a better bet that she will have a balanced diet when she grows up with her parents behaving like this... 

I could go on and on talking about what we do, and waiting for questions and feedback, but let's wrap it up and come bak to it another day, shall we?

linking the second photo to Sweet Shot Tuesday...