My dd goes to pre-k at 12:30 and she dresses herself pretty much. Today she started whining about how she didn't know where her clothes were or how to put them on, etc. I said you know how to get dressed, and that they are on your bed, please get ready. Well then younger dd made a bigger mess out of a messy diaper so I had all that to deal with. After ten or fifteen minutes she still wasn't dressed for school, and I got upset with her. I didn't really yell, just lectured about how she was a big girl and I was just exasperated with having to handle a mess when we should have been on our way out the door. DD is only 4 and probably just wanted help and I was too busy and I feel so bad. Now she's at school until 3. I told her I was sorry, I love you have a good day but I could tell she was hurt. We had been having such a good morning together too.

By Jann on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 01:44 pm:

Yes, she probably was hurt cause you were right. She is a big girl and has been dressing herself every am. I wouldn't beat yourself up about this.

By Beth on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 02:19 pm:

I could have wrote this post myself. My dd also 4 will get herself dressed when it is to her convience. But if I am in a hurry or trying to get something done she suddenly can't do it. I have decided that I need to let my dd do it, I will help her when she needs it but for her its just a control issue. Which by the way me dh said she always get herself dressed at night for him. My dd is kind of headstrong though and this may not be the case with your dd. My dd is now in gymnastics as well as school and I explained to her if she wants to do these things like a big girl then she has to help me out. Like I said my dd may be different then your dd but for her its a game. I don't think you did anything wrong and like Jann said you shouldn't bear yourself up about it. I see nothing wrong with helping when they need it but at this age she should be helping herself as much as possible. JMO

By Rayelle on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 05:07 pm:

Thanks, I know you are right. I just hated an argument right before school.

By Conni on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 05:23 pm:

That was your *bad* mommy moment???? ROFL Geesh no wonder I didnt get anything for Mothers Day-- I really am HORRIBLE!

Hope your afternoon is better!

By Kay on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 08:43 pm:

This is the downside of our taking our jobs as moms so seriously - we second-guess everything and our lives are full of 'coulda, shoulda, woulda'.

I think you are teaching your dd a valuable lesson - that you are a human being, and that the world does not revolve around her. It will sometimes catch a child by surprise, but it's reality, and you've tempered that reality with love.

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 02:13 pm:

My ds is 4 and does the same thing. He is totally capable of getting dressed by himself. But always wants to wear a shirt that is already dirty! He has tons of other t-shirts in his dresser but doesn't want anything to do with those. So then he walks around naked, or with just pants on and no shirt and I am tryiing to get dressed and brush dd's hair and trying to get out the door and there ds is still not ready to pick a shirt out. And NO i can't pick one out for him, those are never good enough! UGH!

By Missbookworm on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 08:45 am:

I have 3 that I go through with this!! It's everything from clothes to putting their dishes in the sink, to cleaning their rooms!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr