Mommy Mistakes

I just read a story over at Antique Mommy about a small mommy mistake (my only comment on the spanking thing is I don't agree with it, but I don't think those who do it gently should be criticized).

This reminded me of a recent mommy mistake I made:

When I pick MLO up from daycare, we have to set her up in her seat. Put her sunglasses on, gave her some juice (all liquids are called "juice") and one of her favorite toys.

Now, MLO has recently gotten into this habit of taking the sunglasses off while I am driving and then asking me over and over to help her put them back on. I have told her that I can't while I am driving and usually she accepts that. Note: She won't let me leave her in the car seat without putting them on before we go though.

One day she just kept getting louder and louder about wanting the glasses on. I told her she could do it, but mommy couldn't help. I let her cry it out and she eventually stopped and then found something else to play with.

The next day same routine. Glasses go on, juice in her hands and we start driving. I glance back and see she is taking the glasses off. After I face forward again she starts crying. I tell her mommy can't help, without looking back to see what was happening. After about five minutes of her still crying I finally look back and realize her juice had spilled all over and this was the upset.

I pulled over, got out, gave her a big hug, told her I was sorry and cleaned up the mess. After everything was all cleaned up she was as happy as could be.

I should have known better because MLO almost never cries about the same thing twice, once the boundary is set she knows.

It isn't always easy I tell ya'


Also on the grouchy thing: the daycare put her in her own room to nap where she wouldn't be distracted by the other kids and she slept for over two hours. She has been her usual "angelic" (well as close as they get at this age) self after that so we seemed to have found the problem.