My Little Apple

The Babe is a bossy little thing. She does not grasp that adults are not meant to be told what to do by a three year old. She on occasion even has the stance with a hand on one hip and the other hip jutted out.

We have been having some gorgeous, unseasonably warm spring days here, which means more outdoor play. The other day an older gentleman passed by our home while taking a walk. Our street does not have sidewalks, so he was walking along the curb. The Babe immediately said how he shouldn’t be walking on the street. Luckily, it wasn’t shouted at him (the Babe is not shy, and has no issue shouting hello to people a half a block away). I informed the Babe that, one, without sidewalks that is the only place to walk. Two, he was being careful. And most importantly, three, he is an adult, and can make these decisions. Children do not direct adults, adults direct children. I suspect this will be our new mantra. She needs to learn this lesson, and it will probably take a while for it to set in. While we may laugh and think it’s cute now, it will mean trouble in the future if not addressed now.

For anyone who knows me, they are probably laughing because this problem would of course develop in my child. Why? Because I was a know-it-all (yes, I probably still am), and either asked really embarrassing questions without realizing it (can we say “precocious”?), or told people how things should be done. Sounds very familiar right now. Guess the apple really doesn’t fall very far from the tree.