Daddy's helper

 

Micali continues to want to be involved in anything her daddy is doing. Lastnight they put together the sliding closet doors for the entryway. It looks really nice. I got the camera out to take a picture when I heard Micali repeat her Daddy saying, "you need to use more pressure" She was holding a track wheel in place for him and it kept sliding. So she kept saying "more pressure, yes, more pressure" It was cute to hear her use those words.
I wanted to make a quick list of things Micali has said lately and what she is doing.
-"don't help k?" Tonight she didn't really need me in the room with her while she was putting Eli down for bed. She sang to him, prayed with him and gave him kisses and hugs. The only thing she "let" me do was put him in bed.
-praying at meal times and bed times
-she is singing songs like crazy. All day long she seems to have some song in her head
-she says PERFECT. When I fill her juice cup, get her something she can't reach, or when she likes anything I do. "ahh Perfect, thank you mama"

I love my sweet girl. A few weeks ago we had a Relief Society Enrichment meeting and one of the mini-classes was on parenting. A guest speaker who is a teacher at BYU-Idaho came and presented. Afterwards a friend and I picked her brain a little on parenting a two year old.
One thing she said was to give them choices. They are striving for independence at this age and need to have some choices. So for example in the morning when she is getting dressed you say pink shirt or purple shirt? If she hasn't answered in 10 seconds or less you repeat the question. If she still hasn't answered you make the choice for her and move on to the next thing.
This has worked so well for Micali. She has started making up her mind really fast and realizing that is she doesn't make a choice than mommy or daddy are going to.
So at nap time now instead of just telling her to go to lay down and go to sleep, I ask her if she wants books or no books. Some days she feels like looking at them some days she is just too tired and wants to go to sleep right away but she seems to realize she made a choice and then is more okay with what is going on.
I LIKE IT!!! It has made my life A LOT easier and Micali a lot happier! I just have to accept her choice when I give her one. Do you want your nice, clean pretty church shoes, or your dirty tennis shoes to wear with your dress to church-----I will take the dirty tennis shoes THANKS mom! oh well--we made it out the door that morning at least!