Thursday, December 11, 2008

I surrender

If our tree looks bare at the bottom, it's because I'm tired of fighting Olivia over not touching the ornaments. So everything we want to keep nice for next year has been moved to the top of the tree. The ornaments at the bottom are plastic ornaments of characters from the Rudolf movie, and they are there to keep Olivia occupied so she doesn't pull off strings of lights. Sheesh.

We're not sure she understands the meaning of the word "No". She says it a lot...usually when she's doing something she's not supposed to do. I think she may just be repeating the word because she hears it a lot and associates it with the activity she's doing when she hears it. So she pulls ornaments off the tree while saying "No", as if that's just what you say when you are doing that activity. Like how you say "yum" when you are eating a cookie.

I guess we have some work to do.

3 comments:

Stephanie said...

Olivia is at such a sweet age, but (in my opinion), the hardest age to know how to handle behavior. I'm never willing to discipline (which is time-out in our house 99% of the time) until I'm sure he understands and is choosing to disobey. At the same time, you have to keep some semblance of order at this age, so you just end up moving them away from something. All. Day. Long. It really does get easier in a few months, but you are definitely in the hardest part right now.

Has she started screaming yet? Screaming was a big part of 12-14 months for us.

Asher keeps wanting to touch the ornaments, too. He wants to rearrange them. So be it.

Lisa said...

She definitely does not understand the word "No", and "time out" (which is sitting in her bed) doesn't seem to make much difference. And it is mind numbing to keep moving her away from the tree/curio cabinet/VCR/TV controls ALL DAY LONG! It is just so much easier to move things out of her way.

It would also be easier if we weren't cooped up in the house, where the most interesting thing to play with IS the tree. But winter is just a bit too cold and dreary for us to play outside. And we live too far from EVERYTHING to plan outings more than twice a week. Boo.

No screaming...yet.

Melissa :) said...

Is that a live tree or artificial? It's beautiful!!!! :)

Caibry has NO interest in our trees. None. She couldn't care less. I can't believe it, actually but it's wonderful! :)