I Lost This Battle

Today I stopped by a store to look for Shiloh a little red coat. It is one of my favorite thrift stores and I can hardly walk out without buying something. Well I didn't find a little red coat, but I found an infant life jacket and infant bike helmet. For those of you who know us you might be surprised that we don't already have these items. Well now that Shiloh is one we are looking to hit the outdoors with her in a big way. We have her bike seat on the bike, and now we have a great little helmet. We are big canoe people and now we have a little infant life jacket. Also we are going on a cruise in December and will need that for the ocean. Yes you heard me right, a cruise. This is a dream come true for us. We have been saving for a vacation and I found a steal online for a Norwegian cruise and started paying on it in May. It will be awesome!

Now that isn't what I lost at today. While in the store I found this great little bean bag. It was big and pink with butterflies. I thought wow this is cute but we don't need it. I decided to sit in it just to see what it was like. It was really comfy. When Shi saw me sitting in it she wanted to. Well why not, what could it hurt. Now if this were a movie I would have paused and asked for the audiences advise because this began a war. (un pause) When I picked Shi up to put her back into the cart she arched her back and started crying. These were real tears rolling down her cheeks. I buckled her in and she started trying to get out and reaching for this bean bag. I was like "what is this?" I was baffled. I had never seen a 12 mo old throw a fit like this and frankly I was blank on what to do. I tried all my discipline things trying to get her to stop to no avail. She was wailing and reaching like I had ripped her from her favorite toy ever. Well like a really dumb mom I looked at the price and thought "only $4, I could swing this". Ok right there if someone would have just knocked me up side the head I would have realized that I was majorly giving in to my daughters first fit. But I just put the thing in the cart and proceeded to check out. Well the story doesn't end there. This wasn't the fix that Shi envisions and continued to throw a fit. By this time I was checking out and talking to a friend. I without thinking, picked her up and sat her on the bean bag. Instant quiet. Laughter even. She was so happy. (Pause) This is where I lost. I gave into her little fit and set the standard for how she thinks that she gets things. Isn't hind sight lovely. (un pause) So getting her into the car was again filled with tears, arching of the back and more drama then I care for. I put the stupid bean bag in the seat next to her and she held it with her hand the whole way home. WOW.

Lesson learned.....Stay in control, don't give in, and as my friend pointed out..."it isn't bread and milk". "Drop it take care of the discipline problem, and let her earn it or leave it". Wow what was I thinking?