Whining and Driving

We are working on it.

Maybe your 3 year old never whines.  Mine does.  A little lot bit.  We’re working on it.  After my head spins and my heart races and my eyes intensify and my lips near bleed, I deal with it.  After she pitches her voices up several tones and configures her cute face in an opposite way, she succumbs and stops.  But in between there somewhere....we work on it.  “Can you say that in a nicer voice?  Let’s try that again.  I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you when you are talking like that.”  Blah, blah, blah.  Ya.  It works great in the books.  

I confess.  I let it beat me and it shows.  

So I decided to try to compensate by rewinding to review the specific behaviour after the fact.  Here’s me, trying to gain a point or two toward mother-of-the-year.  Full support.  “Malana.  I love you, even when you’re whining.”

Pause.  

Eyebrows burrow in thought.

“Mommy.  I love you, even when you’re driving.”

My precious little supporter loves me when I’m doing something she feels I struggle with, just like I love her through her whining, something she struggles with.  How sweet.

My 3 year old back seat driver, is quoted, while in the car.

“Mommy has a hard time back up.”

“We should let Daddy drive us everywhere.”
“Are we in trouble?”

“Oh good, we didn’t hit any cars.”

Well, little one.  I guess we both have something to work on.