Holier Than Thou

Before I was a mom, I was one of those non-parents who saw kids in public and invariably thought, "For pete's sake, get your beasts under CONTROL!" I was confident that when *I* had kids, they would be well disciplined, polite, and well behaved.

Of course I didn't know one very important thing. And that is? I suck at discipline.
There were plenty of clues along the way, as in, I don't even discipline MYSELF. But no, I never caught on.

Now I have a child who bites, smacks, and pulls hair. Which is normal, I guess. But I just want her to STOP! STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!

One thing I will say, she is a DREAM at restaurants. Other than occasionally throwing some food on the floor then looking around expectantly for a couple of dogs to trot up and clean up after her, she is perfect. She doesn't scream or fuss, she flirts with everyone, and she eats whatever we give her.

Today she actually worked with her spoon at breakfast and lunch, navigating it herself from bowl to mouth, and didn't throw it once. Yay! I feel kind of guilty that she's not feeding herself yet; I think her only real block in this endeavor is me. It's like I can't seem to relinquish control enough, or the thought of her throwing her spoon or making a mess or not eating enough if left to her own devices is too much for me to overcome.

I guess I'm a little overbearing after all. Just not in a good way.