Sara asked if I would play checkers with her. She always alters the game into something totally abstract (which drives this first-born, do-it-by-the-rules mom nuts), so I suggested we play Connect 4 instead. We play and are even with four wins each, when I pull ahead winning the next two games. She obviously gives up and I easily win the next game.
She stomps, demonstratively, up the stairs, yelling and crying, stomping more in her bedroom.I come upstairs and brush her teeth. She gets in the shower and is grumbling more. I tell her that what she said (about really wanting to play Pictureka!) was a lie, that she never mentioned that at all. She starts to cry.
Funny girl.
"Are you letting me win?" I ask.
"Yes," says Sara.
"Okay, then we'll quit and you can go take your shower and get ready for bed." (It is 7:30 anyway.)
"It's not fair," Sara says, "I never wanted to play. I told you I wanted to play Pictureka!, I didn't want to play this!"
She stomps, demonstratively, up the stairs, yelling and crying, stomping more in her bedroom.I come upstairs and brush her teeth. She gets in the shower and is grumbling more. I tell her that what she said (about really wanting to play Pictureka!) was a lie, that she never mentioned that at all. She starts to cry.
"I said the wrong thing, Mommy. I never should have said that. I meant to say checkers."I tell her that's better, but I explain, while drying her off, that she was still a poor sport.
"Why? Because I gave up and then said I wanted to quit?"Kyla and Iain are downstairs cutting out pictures from magazine, making funny collage faces. Sara is sad because she has to go to bed and can't cut with them. She wants to know why she can't do it.
"Yes," I say, "And also because you stomped up the steps when you got mad."
"I wasn't stomping, I was heel dancing," says Sara.
"Heel dancing?" I laugh out loud and grab her into a hug, thinking she must really be tired.
"Heel dancing? Why did I say that?" Sara shrieks, laughing and crying at the same time, "I didn't mean to say that, I meant to say heel walking."
"Explain it to me, Mommy."
"No, I don't need to explain it. Go pick out a book and I'll read it to you."
"Why do you want to read to me? You don't like me."
"Why do you say that?" I ask.
"Because you're being mean," Sara says.
"I'm not being mean. You can't cut until tomorrow."
"I don't want to listen to any books," says Sara.
"Okay, you can go to bed then."
"Why? I thought you wanted to read to me!"
Funny girl.
This soooo has to be an age thing. I feel like you are talking about a situation I go through with Hayden often...well except you have a lot more patience than I do.
ReplyDeleteThey really are at an interesting phase.