hurdles

Sometimes I feel like parenting is a long distance running program full of hurdles. Only I'm not jumping the hurdles alone..I'm jumping it while holding on to my children's hands or my husband's hands.
I find that with each growing year, a child changes and presents new sets of challenges and new growth and development. The child changes from a totally trusting cute child, to a child like N, whom at 5 already knows lots of things. She has the mind of a lawyer...and is able to find tonnes of excuses and counter arguments to things she doesn't want to do.

So this is my latest hurdle....I'm not sure how to jump this one...and I've been knocking the hurdles down one by one. I've yet to jump over it. I'm also trying to help Nel deal with the fact that she cannot always have what she wants.....coz not everything she wants is good. For instance, having ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

My own personal one is patience. I often find myself losing patience when she starts her counter arguments..... *sigh* .............. where is my 3 or 4 year old who would willingly do stuff and say "ok mum..." and just so willingly help mummy with housework. She's just maturing wayyy soo fast!

ok apart from that, N is quite a mischievous little fella... always up to something when my back is turned. yet......despite all her mischieve and argumentative attitude, she's still a loving and thoughtful girl....Easily laughs, easily angered too! ....haha.... I know, she's full of potential...a girl like her can go a long way...if guided carefully with extra patience. I need to pray for that extra patience and wisdom.

ok, N just came by she said "mum, when you're old, I'll buy you a camera phone. By the way mum, can I have a chocolate biscuit now?"
I said "No, it's almost dinner time."
She replied "aww c'mon mum, ok, how about if you give me a chocolate biscuit, I will not disturb you." [she knows I'll give in to this one! haha..]
So I replied "ok, just one"
N: "how about 5 ?"
Me: "no, just one! "
N: "ok, mum, how about two??"
Me: "ok, ok, two."
N smiles and says: "how about three? "
Me: " 2! and that's final!"
N: "Ok, mum, 2."

and she's downstairs now..munching on em cookies.