The bag of tricks just keeps getting bigger.
Today’s trick: Get silly! (aka…grasping at straws.)
This morning, Mia got to the bathroom just before Grace. It was perceived by Grace that Mia was maliciously cutting her off.
Grace: Mia, you look devil.
Patrick (in a sharp tone): Grace, I don’t ever want to hear that again. That was mean!
Grace stomps off to her room.
Mia finishes in the bathroom. (She’d been in there less than 2 minutes.)
Mia: Grace, the bathroom is free.
Grace: Don’t talk me.
Patrick: Grace, come out and do a re-do.
Grace comes out and sits with an angry look on the sofa. Several minutes of lecturing, coddling, cajoling, etc. occur. Patrick is increasingly late to work.
Logic, as usual in this situation, is getting us no where! It comes out that Grace feels like Mia cut her off this morning.
Patrick: How many bathrooms are there?
Grace: I don’t know. (This is her standard uncooperative answer.)
Me: There are two. You had two choices. When Mia got to the bathroom first, you could have either waited patiently or gone to the other bathroom. Being mean to Mia is not an option.
Grace: But we like the yellow bathroom better. Me and my hand.
Her hand has been her schizophrenic friend lately.
Me: Grabbing Grace’s hand and speaking in a ridiculous voice pretending to be her hand. But Grace, I love that green bathroom! Green is my favorite color. Why couldn’t we use the green bathroom this morning?!?!
Grace eyes me sideways and starts to giggle.
Me: Still talking like a hand. I’m a hand so I’m good at tickling. I will tickle you for not taking us to the green bathroom! Tickling ensues. Grabbing the other hand. Don’t forget me! I like the green bathroom too. Now it’s two to one!
By this time the spell is broken and regulation is occuring.
Grace: I will use the green bathroom just because I love my hands so much.
She agrees to do a re-do with Mia and finally goes to the bathroom. Clearly she didn’t have to go as bad as she thought since she’d now been up for an hour without peeing.
Amy,
I’m usually really bad at this, too. I’ve had to do many parenting redos 🙂
That is awesome. I am so bad at playful engagement … really, bad. After the meltdown, I can usually think of something I could have done playfully. Love this one!
I just loved this! I even read it to my husband to pass the smile on to him! Thanks for sharing glimpses into what life is like for you guys. Praying for you!