Wow. Where does she learn this stuff? I'm convinced toddlers share secrets on how to work their parents over. Lately, I've felt like Miss Thang is constantly flipping me off and I can't help but laugh - most days. But other days, I just don't know what to do.
For her birthday she got a really cool little car that has an ignition, shifter, and pedals. It makes noise like a real engine and she'll sit there for some time steering the driver's wheel but when she's done - she's done. And she leaves the engine running. The constant purr of the engine is well...annoying. After turning it off for the millionth time, I demanded she turn it off instead before she moved onto something else. One night it was running and I say, cheerfully, "turn your car off."
Miss Thang: "No. Mommy do it."
Me: "Please, turn your car off."
Miss Thang: "No. Mommy turn it off."
Hubby: "Mommy said 'turn your car off'."
Miss Thang: "No!"
Right after she says no, the automatic turn off cuts the engine noise.
Miss Thang (looking right at me and smugly says): "Car off."
My husband doubled over in laughter. Miss Thang, one. Mommy, zero.
"Get Your Motor Running"
I'm at a total loss on how to deal with these kinds of situations. We've just started implementing time-outs. Only a few times has she had a total meltdown at my demand for a time-out on the naughty-step. Yesterday, I threatened her with one and she said "okay."
Really?