I know, I know. My very particular, very stubborn, very "this is the way things must be forever and always so help me God" flipped out girl is actually chilling out a bit.
Exhibit A - Our decision to move.
Granted, this whole scenario - and Sweetie's easy taking to it - may largely be due to the fact that Sweetie doesn't quite understand what it means to move (as far as I can gather, that is). Still, when we let Sweetie in on our decision, she was all, like, "Okay." That was it. - "And we may not be able to take the kitties with us when we go." - "Okay."
Hmmmm... Okay.
Then, earlier this week, Hubby and I started an initial round of cleaning up, purging out, and packing up various items we knew we wouldn't have much call for over the next several months. Clearing out the clutter and all, ya know?
In this same burst of cleaning and packing, we happened to strip Sweetie's bed to wash her sheets. Completely unrelated to our move, of course, but just something that needed to be done. Sweetie helped strip her bed, just as she'd been helpful in the midst of all this purging out unnecessaries from her room.
Later that afternoon, after the sheets had been washed and dried, Hubby and I moaned about which one of us would actually remake her bed. Neither of us jumped at the chore off the bat, figuring somehow by the end of the day one or the other of us would finally get to it.
But Sweetie was concerned.
But Mama! We have to make my bed for the next kid who'll sleep there!
No, no, no. We're not moving today! It will take a long time before someone buys our house and we have to move. We have to remake your bed for you!
Oh. I thought we were moving today. Okay.
Beyond this incident, I've noticed other little and big ways that Sweetie is becoming more adaptable and/or less affected by changes to the "plan."
Wanting to change up her breakfast routine in order to have a bowl of cereal instead of a breakfast bar, even though this means getting up about 15 minutes earlier than usual on school days.
Not getting nearly as sad as she would have in the past when I ended up picking her up from school on a day when I suggested that maybe, maybe, I'd have Daddy pick her up instead.
Not even mentioning the fact that I'd forgotten to give her a snack for school one day - an act of misconduct which I'd previously been scowled at and told how it was "all (my) fault" that Sweetie had bad news to report about the missing snack.
Many varied acts throughout each day where Sweetie is either doing something on her own that isn't working out quite the way she'd imagined, or we are doing something together that isn't just the "way" she'd like it to be. Whines do start to emerge from her lips, but then I suggest that she/we do things in this other way that will work just as well.
Good thinking, Mama! Good thinking!
Like this morning: Sweetie comes into our room - before she's "supposed to" - wanting help reading a particular word in a book she'd chosen to look at. She went on to mention that, even though this is the book she really wanted to read, she was sure that there'd be lots of words she wouldn't be able to read on her own.
Usually, my sending her away and telling her to deal with it or chose a different book would have resulted in a flood of tears and angry stomps. But this time, when I simply suggested that she just skip over the words she didn't know, she brightened a bit, saying, Good thinking, Mom!
I'm sure I could tell you about several other incidents, but I think you get the idea. Especially my regular readers who know just how exact Sweetie likes - nay, expects - things to be; this is a major breakthrough. Major.
On the other hand - perhaps Sweetie is more like me than I thought. I can alternately be extremely at ease about how certain things play out and then extremely put out when other situations don't work out to my expectations.
Hmmmm... like mother, like daughter. God help us both.
No comments:
Post a Comment