"Yes!", "No!"

Have you ever been in a "No!", "Yes!", "No!", "Yes!" battle with a two-year-old?

I just was. I got up to go stop him from destroying my computer, still continuing the "No!", "Yes!" argument and I just had to laugh at myself. Instead of being all angry at him, I realized I really ought to know better. There is nothing so stubborn as the two year-old saying NO!. (I was saying get away from the computer, he responded NO! so I responded Yes! That is how I was the Yes one in this.)

There are other times in my life when I get in similar pointless battles. I am usually the one saying "Yes! Give it to me! I want it!" and the world says back a resounding "NO!". I want a clean house. Give it to me! um...the house says NO! clean me yourself. I want the Christmas light down. Come down for me! I swear I hear the lights laughing at me as I walk by. (No, I didn't take them down, but we don't turn them on anymore...a compromise right?)

I want electricity and a car and a working phone and water coming from the faucet, but paying those bills is so irritating. Just give it to me anyway! "No!" the utility companies scream.

I want my daughter's fifth grade teacher to be more patient and understanding of her needs. I meet with him, email him, discuss issues with him and think I have full support, but the moment I relax in my diligence in keeping her on track, she is completely lost again. "Help her!" I tell the teacher. "Ok!" he says but really means "No! I can't I'm too overwhelmed by the rest of the students". We adults get a lot better at hiding the "No!'s" we mean behind "Ok's" and "I'll see if I can get to that." It's taken me half the year to begin understand this teacher's limitations.

I'm still trying to figure out what's behind my daughter's struggles. I tell her "Yes, just do it!" over and over and she says back "Yes!" but there is something innate in her yelling "No!" just as loud. How do I teach her to overcome her inner No's when I haven't even taken down the Christmas lights yet?

I must have an inner two year-old. "Yes!" I tell myself only to get the "No!" response back. Maybe teaching myself is a lot like teaching that toddler. If I give my son a choice between two things, he'll usually choose one. If I tell him he has to have or do something, he almost always says NO. So..um..oshee you can do dishes or take down the Christmas lights..which do you want? Um...I think I'll write in my blog. LOL

I dunno the answers to all this. I just found my arguing with a two year-old a funny, funny thing. It is a true exercise in futility.