Minnie has picked up this terribly annoying habit of asking for things in the world's most passive aggressive manner. She'll clasp her fat little hands together under her chin so she looks just like a Hummel figurine and say something like, "Oh I wish I could have a piece of toast," or "Oh I wish someone could change the TV channel for me," or "Oh I wish I had someone to play Candyland with." I think a kid at school talk like this? Or she watches so much TV she thinks it would be cute? Upon seeing me dressed for work, she said, "Oh I wish I could wear that beautiful necklace." I was all well you can't because I am wearing it, but maybe you could ask to borrow it tomorrow. JUST BE A PROBLEM SOLVER, MAN! Is what I want to say.
She waited a whole day to wear this:
She was eating a chocolate chip cookie on the way to school because she took her antibiotic with no complaints (let's not unpack all the parenting fails in that one little sentence ok??), and not only did she say as she helped herself to the cookie, "Oh no. There's only one cookie left in here. I wonder who will eat it tomorrow," but she dropped the cookie as I was backing out of the garage and said, "Maybe when we get to school, you will be able to pick up my cookie, and I can eat it some other time."
SO PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE MY GOD. I stopped the car, hopped out, and got the cookie. BUT SERIOUSLY. JUST ASK ME NEXT TIME.
I'd walk away from this. This is not a habit I'd encourage. I have a feeling her siblings won't put up with it long. However, a cookie for taking antibiotics is a fine exchange. ( no diffe r nt than a donut in the morning!).
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this little princess in distress.
lol princess in distress is perfect
Deletethat would annoy me too but on the plus side, what complex sentences she's producing!
ReplyDeletesilver linings
DeleteYeah, she must be picking it up from school or a TV show or something! It actually sounds cute when you describe it, but I can see how it would be annoying in person!
ReplyDeletesooooo annoying
DeleteLol, I think it's cute (and I feel like if it gets too much you could just explain that? She seems very sharp). it's not passive aggression exactly, is it? Passive aggression would be "well i guess I just have to go hungry because no one will pick up my cookie for me". Or am I just a Minnie apologist?
ReplyDeleteI DO think she is judging me with her requests. Like the underlying theme is I WISH MY MOM WOULD PAY BETTER ATTENTION TO MY NEEDS
DeleteI'm sorry, Sarah; your bloggy friends should be on your side. But those pictures of Minnie are so adorable and it influenced the way I read the whole thing as darling.
ReplyDeleteLOL
Delete"I wish I could wear that beautiful necklace."
ReplyDeleteI'm dying of laughter. I can just HEAR her saying all of these things. Gah. Kids know how to push all the right buttons, but I think it's incredibly adorable, to be honest. Plus, you didn't give her the necklace (though, also, it's not like it would be wrong to have done so either).
And I know there are lots of negatives to bribing kids to do unpleasant things with food BUT ALSO...we do the same thing with money and other adult-centric incentives when we get older. Performance bonuses, anyone? Different method, same result.
Finally, I suspect this is a phase.
I am curious if she talks to Ben the same way? My kids take VERY different approaches depending on which parent they're talking to. (With me it's brute force: if they ask me the same thing 99 times, they know I will eventually give in the 100th! That will never work with my husband, so they use different approaches on him. It's hilarious when I take a step back from the frustration of it all.)
I thin she DOES do this to Ben, but he does not feel judged #patriarchy
DeleteLOL! She just continues to be a little caricature of a kid. I love it. I really have to challenge myself to not out-petty my kids so my knee jerk reaction was to respond with "Oh! I wish someone would change your channel too!" and then just walk away. I'm not proud of my parenting, obvs.
ReplyDeletecaricature is the PERFECT description
DeleteThe look on her face when she is wearing what I assume is your necklace. Bah ha ha. When I used to put Curly to bed at age 4, I would get her clothes out the night before to streamline the morning. I'd hold up an outfit and say "Ah, how about this?" She'd be tucked into the double bed under the dollhouse bunkbed and say, "Hmm, can I have choices?" Then I found myself showcasing several outfits in a row until something appealed to her. She looked like a little princess, and I was like WHAT AM I DOING? Bah ha ha. All that to say, this is relatable. #youngestgirl
ReplyDeleteI also have to sell Minnie her clothes LOL
DeleteShe is SO cute.
ReplyDeleteMy kid went through this “I wish…” phase, and I was Not A Fan. I think she has (mostly?) outgrown it.
thanks! hope Minnie is a more direct communicator soon
DeleteMy son does this too! I ask him to rephrase it every time. “How do we ask for things?” “Ask for what you want.” He is still passive aggressive as a default, and he’s 10.
ReplyDeleteASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT-- this is exactly what I say
DeleteThis! My almost preschooler is also going through a not-stellar communication phase. Except for his is just aggressive agressive. No passive in this kid’s socialization. (TV? Friends? Who in his little life is demonstrating that the proper way to ask for something is to shout, “Mama! Give me that one. RIGHT NOW!”?) #thankspatriarchy
ReplyDeletelove the hashtag
Delete1. Blog fodder.
ReplyDelete2. You can embarrass her with it when she is older.
3. She will grow out of it with lots of good modeling.
In the mean time, yeah, the pictures are adorable, as always.
lol at #2
Delete