3.20.2015

The definition of "willful"

I don't know if any of you in the blog-verse has met my daughter, but let me tell you of her stubborn/strong-willed nature.
Although I can't prove it, I knew she was willful from birth. Child birth from start to finish was about 16 hrs including a 2.5 hrs of pushing (tmi sorry). She was pretty content to stay inside my belly forever.
Babies don't have vocabulary, but Cami always knew what she wanted and she let you know if you weren't helping her out...sometimes for extended periods of time until you did what she wanted, whether it was walking her around the apartment or pointing her to the window.
These days she has the words and a new sense of independence to go with it.
A few days ago her bath time routine became her personal mandate.
After said bath, the water drained down the tub as usual, while she held back her toys from "getting sucked in". After all the water has drained, I ask her four times to get out under the threat of time out. She does not respond.
I grab her by her arms and yank her out of the tub and the tantrum ensues with screaming, " Cami will do it!"
I remain consistent in my responses regarding not listening and getting out, while fighting to get her dressed. After 20 minutes if yelling/screaming/pulling her clothes off we start in time out and end up with her in her bedroom (butt naked) on her bed.
Then I practice the waiting game so she can calm down and be dressed appropriately for bed.
Surprisingly, it doesn't take long. I open her door and turn on the lights. Like a naked, midget ninja; she blurs passed me into the bathroom and into the empty bathtub and immediately jumps out.
After 20 minutes she was still going to get out of the bathtub by herself. She's going to be the death of me.

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