World meet the newest master manipulator

So we've been teaching T her body pairs such as head, eyes, nose, hair etc. She has become quite proficient at them. T has also entered the toddler years full throttle and is suffering from lack of communication abilities which bring on temper tantrums and the like. All the books say, redirection, redirection and more redirection, so we employ this method when possible.

However, being human I too am fallible and there are days when I sit and wonder which one of us is the toddler after I throw a temper tantrum after having redirected countless times or have informed her royal toddlerness that we don't do such and such for the umpteenth time today.

My toddler-ese doesn't always make it through the toddler translator. Its blah blah blah, no play park or blah blah no Jack's Big Music Show blah blah when in reality I've said, "We don't throw things or there won't be any more Jack". Its like trying to herd cats some days but some key words do register, or so I like think.

When we are about to hit meltdown mode, we redirect T by asking her "Where's your head?", What does a cow say?" etc. It has been rather effective for us. Failing success with our redirection efforts, we ask T to show us what she wants because while I have become an expert at T-speak, there are some things that the mommy translator doesn't have an explanation for.

Of late, our redirection technique are being used against us, in a way that would make you smile, even when you are supposed to be mean ole mommy.

There are times we have to chastised T for being errant in her ways. When we tell T "No, we don't throw food on the floor." sternly, we are confronted with T telling us where her nose is. How can you keep a straight face when you have a precocious toddler, looking you straight in the eye with those blue eyes, saying "Nose" while pointing to her nose and smiles like only she can.

Gotcha Mommy!

World meet the newest master manipulator.

This picture is T looking at the ducks in OKC last weekend.