Lily in Charge

Along with her continually blossoming verbal skills Lily is developing a love of telling people what to do - well me in particular. I love that she can now speak in complete sentences and has no problem telling me exactly what she's thinking. But with increasing frequency her thoughts have centered around things *I* should and should not do. (hmmm as I write this I realize perhaps she's just bossing me BACK?)

My favorite example has to do with my hair. She wants it down - all the time - and that's it. If I use a clip or elastic to put it back she complains immediately "No! Mommy HAIR!" She even complains if I use my hands to just pull it away from my neck for a minute while sitting near her. She'll grab my hands to stop me from doing it. Now she's moved on to anything that might cover my head, like the very nice felted wool hat my Mom gave me for Christmas. I really like it - it's comfy and warm. But if I have it on when I pick her up from day care she proclaims "No Mommy hat!". She refuses to come with me until I take it off - or promise to take it off in the car - because hey - it's COLD out there! I'm not sure what's more embarrassing - the fact that I fold to her demands of the fact that she refuses to be seen with me when I'm wearing it.

Flashback: umm not sure when, but a long time ago. My Mom always had pretty short hair. It was long before she got married, but right after the wedding she cut it short and it mostly stayed that way. Sometime in the 80's she decided to get a perm (didn't everyone?). It must have been early 80's, perhaps even late 70's because I was pretty young. Anyway - she went to the hairdresser one morning and came home with a really tight, short perm. I HATED it. And I cried and cried and refused to be seen with her. I remember it vividly and have always felt bad about it. I don't think she was all that thrilled with it either and then she had to come home to that kind of reaction from her kid. Eeeek. So now I wonder - am I getting the payback that all parents secretly (or not so secretly) wish on their kids?

Punchline: I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything drastic with my hair until she's old enough to be polite about it ;)