Trying Toddler Times

It's funny, I can think back to many times during Adeline's first year of life in which I told Adam that I just wanted to make it through her first year and then I would know that I could do it. "It" being motherhood? I'm not sure. Especially because I started doing whatever "it" is the second they put her warm little body up on my chest.

As a first time parent, you hear many people tell you to enjoy it while they are young because new milestones mean new challenges. Like I said, you hear that, but it is hard to really get that until you are actually experiencing it yourself. I mean, I felt like there were so challenges to get through during Adeline's first year. So shouldn't her second year be a piece of cake in comparison?

Well, yes and no. She has achieved a new level of independence in the past few months that we love and have a blast witnessing. And in some ways that independence is a breath of fresh air. At the same time, she has bigger opinions and likes and dislikes now that make parenting her more challenging at times.

Lately I have been feeling that challenge BIG time. I don't want to tell her "No!" more times in one day than I laugh with her. I want her to understand that when I hold her hand in a parking lot or to cross a street, it isn't because I am trying to hold her back, but rather to protect her. I don't want every meal to become a battle of the wills (think head turning, spitting out food, and more often than I like, dejected food ending up all over the kitchen floor). I'm not sure why I'm so emotionally frustrated when I make a nice dinner that my 15 month old daughter doesn't approve of!

This is unchartered territory for us as parents. How do we effectively discipline our child and begin teaching her what kind of behavior we expect from her? I know, it is the million dollar question. One that every parent asks and every "expert" strives to answer. At times recently I have felt so discouraged trying to answer those question for myself.

Even during the most frustrating of days, I try to chalk this all up to a learning experience - for me and for Adeline. Sure, we have spent the last year together, but she is still getting to know us as her parents and we are getting to know our growing, changing, maturing little girl. None of us are perfect and we each have our own ideas of how things should play out, Adeline included. I want Adeline to have a kind heart, to respect others, and to love the Lord. And I just have to keep reminding myself that the best way to teach her this is to show her with my own behavior. And yes, she will need correcting along the way (just as I still do!).

I can guarantee that next year at this time, some of today's challenges will be no more and will be replaced with new challenges. Regardless, I'm pretty sure she will make us laugh as much then as she does now. Those moments make it all worth it.