Learning Lessons

Lately Chloie has been throwing these temper tantrums when ever I have to do anything for myself... like shower, do my hair, eat, go to the bathroom, clean the house, really anything that takes my attention away from her. It's starting to worry me, especially with only 4 weeks and 6 days til my due date.

I have tried ignoring, consoling, time outs, and even bribing her with otter pops to get her to calm down, but she just gets more angry the more I try.

 The other day she slammed her bed room door and tore her room apart, bed unmade, clothes, and books thrown every where. So I sat outside her room and waited  for the yelling and crashing to stop then opened to door to find one very sad little girl. She came RUNNING over to me and tried to hug me. I decided to try something I haven't before, I said "not until you help me clean up." ( I usually just hug her and clean up after her) She said ok and started putting her socks back into their box and put her pillows back on her bed and books up on the shelf. Then when she was done putting all the clothes back in to the boxes she turned to me and said "pwease" so I helped her put the boxes back into the cubby. 

Once everything was done she climbed into my lap and hugged me. 

Then, with out being told to, she said "I sorry".

My little girl, who isn't even two yet, said sorry not because mommy told her to but because she was sorry.

She then said sorry to her bed and to her boxes and to her books and even to her sister's crib (which I'm guessing got attacked at one point during the tantrum).

So even though I felt like the MEANEST mom ever, I actually feel like she learned a lesson and so did I.

Watching her pick up her mess made me realize that I don't have to do everything for her, she is getting so big so fast that I think doing everything for her made me feel like I could keep her little for just a big longer, she can pick up her own messes. And at this point with another baby coming so soon I think it's time I start letting Chloie be responsible for some little things around the house. I don't want her to feel left out when the baby gets here. She is attached to my hip 24/7, she still needs me so I need to start showing her that I need her too.

So we've been working on helping mom make the beds in the morning, brushing her own teeth (I still help a little with that one but can ya blame me?) :) , putting away her toys when she is done, and helping mom in the kitchen. She LOVES to help, it seems to make her happy. We haven't had a tantrum in couple days and it is SO NICE! She doesn't freak out every time I have to do something for myself as long as I give her a job to do.

 I was so proud of her for picking up her room all by herself with out whining I had to take pictures to show her daddy.