Why do people do this?

Not that long ago, I had an epiphany. It struck me that Ana is going to be *three* in *May*. That's coming fast now!

And, with that said, and me anticipating another year (at least) of full-time babysitting, and then some, it hit me: I don't want to spend my life playing fetch-and-carry for this child. Ana can fill up her own glass of water in the bathroom sink. She's good at it, doesn't spill.

So often, when she asks me for a cup of water, I hand her her scooby cup and tell her to have at it. Oh, and to say please. She doesn't say please nearly as consistently as I'd like.

With the success of this scheme, I moved it into other areas.( Read more... )

Edit: This isn't a new thing. It's related to the people who act stunned that the kid can throw out her own garbage when told to (or even of her own volition, because she knows what garbage is and where it goes); that she can ask for a tissue, blow her nose, and throw it out *all by herself*; that she can unzip her jacket and take it off (she usually unzips it just most of the way and steps out of it, but I don't care); that she can hold onto a subway pole (okay, maybe this one is a little more unusual).

I don't think Ana is all that far ahead of other children her age in these abilities. I think that there's a lot of people, including people who ought to know better, who just underestimate children. And that's a sad thing.

One last post before I sleep...

( On Ana's use and understanding of why )

( And today's cute Anacdote )

Today we went, last minute, to the Natural History Museum. I'll post about it later, I suppose.

Ugh.

You know it's a bad day when the highlight was that Ana sat and pooed on the toilet. Entirely of her own volition - first I knew about it was when she scared me yelling 'I MAKE POOPOO!'. I hadn't even known she was in the bathroom.