She wanted nothing more than to sit on the sofa, watch tv, and eat snacks all day long. I, of course, made it clear that this was not an option. So, in protest, I got to hear her cry all day long.
But as the night wore on I got to thinking, why? Why did I say no to tv and snacks? She was in a terrible mood. There are plenty of days that I would like to snuggle up on the couch in my pjs, grab a not so healthy snack and watch a good movie.
All the logical "mom" reasons came to me... Snacks all day are not healthy. I shouldn't just give in to her every whim. Tv all day is no good for her. Getting dressed is what normal people do... But are all these reasons about what I think other moms are doing? Do I feel like I'm doing my child a disservice by spending the day watching movies and eating snacks? My conclusion is, yes. I think all those things. But SHOULD I think them is the real question.
Instead of spending our entire day yelling at each other and getting frustrated, maybe we should have built a fort, made pop corn, and put in Frozen.
I spend an awful lot of time worrying about what another mom might possibly be doing with their child and assuming that other moms days are probably going so much smoother than mine. I spend more time worrying about other moms than seeing my own child and what her immediate needs are.
When I think of needs I think food, clothing, diapers, safety, ect... not emotional all the time.
I think what Bitty needed today was me and my time. I see that now. It only took all day, and now she's asleep. Now I know, though. Now I know that everyone, including a two and half year old, have bad days. That every once in a while Frozen and pop-corn in not only okay, but necessary.
