You don't have to tell me

That is one of the most commonly used phrases in our house these days.

It is not that I am trying to micromanage her. It is that I hate mornings. I get up when I have to. I don't get up an hour early to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee before Ladybug gets up. Partly this is because I hate coffee. I mean really hate coffee. Not regular coffee. Not flavored coffee. Not even ice cream coffee. I actually worried about my trip to Ethiopia because I didn't want to do anything offensive but I knew I would never make it through a coffee ceremony. Luckily I was never faced with a coffee ceremony while I was there. The other part is that Ladybug gets up so early. I would have to get up at 4am in order to beat her. And that is so not happening.

Ladybug gets up early. She has learned to stay in her room and play. Well, unless she has crawled into my bed for cuddle time. When I get up -- after hitting the snooze several times each morning -- we begin the day.

Please go potty, brush your teeth and get dressed.
Please pick up your room.
Please pack your backpack.
Please get your shoes on.
Please find a jacket.
Please get a wipey and clean your face.
Please get in the car.
Please buckle up.

Incidentally, "please" is Ladybug's least favorite word and actively refuses to use it.

Recently she looked at me one morning and said...

I know. I know.

Completely exasperated. I know she knows. She knows that I know she knows. And yet she doesn't do it.

Why? If she knows (and she does) why not do it? It is not like our morning routine changes. It is very routine. If she has to do the same thing every morning why not do it every morning? Why does she wait until I tell her before she does it?

So I stopped telling her. And then she complained that I didn't tell her what to do.

Ladybug 1
Mean Mama 0

Mean Mama