The "N" Word & Total Disrespect

Well it happened.
Ella finally witnessed me doing something that I wish she didn't have to witness. I said the "N" word in front of my daughter.

NO.

I generally try not to use this word with/around her. Not because I give her everything she wants, but more because I dread the day that she starts using it against me. Instead? I try to practice "redirection". At almost 7 months it really only takes a small amount of "look a baby seal"* before she's interested in something else (kind of like communicating with my husband). Also, I want her to know that when we say "NO!" we really mean business.

Today? Different story.

We have a Bumbo chair- you know the most dreaded-and-feared-you-must-be-an-awful-abusive-uncaring-and-unkind-parent-if-you-are-still-using-it-after-all-the-warnings chair.

Yep. That one.

And guess what? We sit it on the *gasp* kitchen counter. Before I get all the hate mail and you're all like, "Don't do that! You'll kill her" and stuff, we don't leave her in it alone. EVER. AND, we only sit her in it on the counter to feed her. Then we take her out.

Immediately.

If not sooner.

Anyway, they really are unsafe if you leave babies elevated and alone in them (not good for places like, um, the top of the Eiffel Tower or on a box of doughnuts while you go get the rest of the groceries). They aren't safe for this very reason - Ella has just started to do this weird back-arching, pushing with her feet while she's sitting in it. Yes, I could see how it might tip over IF WE LEFT HER ALONE.

WHICH WE DON'T.

EVER.

(Got it?)

So tonight when she was doing her newly discovered gymnast/acrobatic move, I said "NO!" In a loud, stern "I'm the parent" kind of way.

Her reaction?

She stared right in my eyes for a brief moment and then?
Started laughing.

At which point I tipped her over off the counter anyway.

No, OF COURSE I DIDN'T. Instead? I honestly had a brief who-am-I-Rodney-Dangerfield?!? moment and then I ignored her.

Parenting sucks sometimes.
___________
The "look a baby seal" thing expanded:

My stepdaughters grew up with me (and vice versa). I think I met Todd when they were 2 and 6 or something like that (they're 15 & 19 now). Anyway, whenever Todd and I wanted to divert their attention when they were young, we would say, "LOOK! A BABY SEAL!" and their little heads would whip around while we talked, hid something, tongue kissed, steal something from the convenience store...whatever. This worked for YEARS, until the youngest one finally said one year, "Look, I'm not falling for the baby seal thing anymore. You might as well just go ahead and do whatever it is you're going to do."

It was a sad, sad day in the Wilson household that day, let me tell you. And, yes, we will be carrying on that tradition with Ella. Hey, why knock a good thing?!?