For the first few months, Kye and I were essentially oneーhe goes wherever I go, he dances to whatever song I play, he eats whatever I eat, and he even sits quietly on my lap and listen to whatever book I read him. I don't know when it happened but he had fully become a new substance with his own ideas. He is starting to discover himself and is almost ready to take off in full throttle. He knows what he wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to get them. In short, he is a very strong-willed child.
It can get very difficult at times as he always want to take charge. He wants to see everything for himself and people like to call this experimental learning.
Don't get me wrong.
I am not against experimental learning. In fact, I believe first-hand experience is when you learn things best and not through someone else's biased perspective. However, I find that as a one-year old who just recently learned how to walk, the things he does could more often than not lead to accidents. I can only assume what is going inside his head and it probably goes like 'What is this thing?' 'What happens if I touch it?' 'Is the oven that mommy says is hot really hot?'
And it's cute because it means he is trying to learn by discovering new things on his own.
It's cute until he injures himself trying to reach for something that is off-limits.
So I tried to correct this problem by taking over. I tell him what to do and I expect him to obey. Unfortunately and obviously, it doesn't work. I would even consider it as the worst idea I've ever come up with because it just leads to so much frustration when he disobeys. And I think we all can agree that nothing good comes out of frustration.
So, after careful evaluation and reconsideration, I finally realized that I could be damaging his spirit by allowing myself to engage in power struggles with him.
Last night, I sat myself down to reasses my behavior as a parent and finally decided to set my main objective as Kye's mother and that is to tame his will without killing his spirit.
How do I do that?
I still do not know.
I have read a lot of parenting articles and ebooks that has some considerable amount of useful information that gets me nodding in agreement as I read but I can't seem to apply any of them when I am already subjected to a similar situation.
I guess every situation is different and thus requires a different approach.
I guess I will just freestyle my way out of this beautiful mess called motherhood.
Oh wait. There is no way out.🙈
