Some days feel like a never ending power struggle.
I absolutely hate when books, the nanny shows, doctors, etc say that she's two and she's "testing" me or just having a tantrum. I KNOW she's not trying to hurt me or be manipulative. These are her honest to gosh emotions and she's entitled to them. But I am simply at a loss lately. She's two. And we already spend days just yelling at each other. It breaks my heart. I thought I would be so good at this but I am completely clueless. I am so disappointed in myself sometimes.
A typical conversation goes like this. Exasperated, I finally appeal to "mommy said no!" To which she replies, "but I said YES!" How can I argue with that logic??? I try to convince her, to show her, to persuade her, even to scare her into realizing that I am the mom and she needs to do what I say. I try to explain that I'm not being mean, some things just have to be done- like being nice to (ie not clobbering) your brother. But the more I try, the more she... well, acts just like I do. If I yell, she yells. If I plead, she pleads. She has no clue that I'm right and she needs to give in. Or follow directions. Or that I'm the boss.
She really tries to control everything, even what Caius plays with or how he plays. If I open a door, she closes it. If I sweep the floor, she comes and spreads the pile all over the floor. If I fold the laundry, she throws it around the house. In all of this, she's just having fun and exploring her world. But I KNOW I need to teach her better and be more in charge. She actually needs the structure and discipline etc. Besides the fact that I'm going crazy!