Question of the Day

From my wife to my daughter, shortly after dinner this evening:

Is there something you can hit besides your father?

A. has been in a "hitting" phase recently, smacking one or the other of her parents with an open palm, usually during moments of transition (e.g., bath time) or when she's been denied something to which she believes she's entitled (e.g., television, more ice cream). So far, the response has been simply to deposit her in her "time out" chair. That works sometimes, producing the desired howls of protest and tears followed by expressions of contrition and remorse.

But other times, I think she's actually struck me because she wants to sit in Time Out for a minute or two. Yesterday, for no apparent reason, she walked across the room to where I was sitting, smacked me on the leg, then said, "I'll go sit in Time Out" as she waddled over to her chair. In those moments, she reminds me of the fabled convict who's become so institutionalized that life on the "outside" seems impossible to imagine; to avoid the endless succession of days as a free man, he kills someone or knocks over a bank.

The fact that I'm comparing my daughter's psychology to that of an incorrigible criminal does not seem inappropriate.

TAGS:
POST TOOLS:

( Add your comments )

Recent Entries:
· Pampers targets Dad with a cool Brees
· Top 5 Valentine's Day gifts for Dads
· Top 5 Worst TV Dads

[ READER COMMENTS ]

Question of the Day

Add your comments...

We kindly ask that you keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Abusive or inappropriate comments or comments that are specifically promotional in nature may be removed.