Valentines Day 2/14/08

2/14/08 Here is Simone working on her Valentines Card for her Daddy. As you can see here she was NOT into me taking any photos this morning. When Simone decides she is not going to do some thing she does not do it.

Just look at her face. Frowned her face, pouted her lips and then crinckled her eye brows.

She was very happy on the other hand to bring all of her Nerds to school and have her "Hearts Dress" on! Thank you Auntie Andrea, Uncle Jason, Carter and Sydney. Simone enjoyed receiving all of her compliments from teachers and friends when she wore her special dress before and on Valentines Day.

This is what I learned on 2/7/08:

So back to when Simone decides not to do some thing she does not do it.

My Learning Experience.

Here is a little back ground. We asked Simone if she wanted to start a Chinese Dance class. She says yes. So Simone started Chinese Dance class around four weeks ago. Teacher is GREAT, friends are there and class content is wonderful! Class number 1 & 2 went good. She was very clingy but participated and I even got to scoot back a little. Class 3 starting to drift and not want to do class. Class 4 is listed below.

Class starts at 4:45 pm. Simone rises every morning around 6 or 6:30 am. We go up stairs for her night time routine by 6. The plan is to get her to sleep by 6:30 or 7. Some times she wakes with Rick at 5 or 5:30 but that is not the norm. Class is on Friday. We leave our house around 4pm because it is a little drive. She ALWAYS falls asleep on the way there. Try to get there early when I can so she can have transition time.

Last Friday she fell a sleep about ten minutes into our drive. She was sawing logs! When we got there she woke up on our way in. She only wanted me to hold her.

Then about ten minutes later when it was time for class to start she decided she was not going to do class. So I gave her a time out so she could settle down and relax. After her usual time out time I asked her if she was ready to go back in and have some fun??? She told me NO, frowned her face, pouted her lips and crinkled her eye brows. She meant business!! I thought to myself, Oh, boy, think....... she is not going back in there. She said, "she wants her gymnastics class, Daddy, where is Daddy and does not like this class." I told her this was not gymnastics and we were not doing it until this summer and that she needed to go back in there and finish her class and her Daddy was at home.

She told me that she did not want to and wanted to stay in time out. So I think to myself...OK only give her choices that I was ready to follow through with and think about this as a learning moment.

I then tell her that she had two choices. One go back in there and finish class because we don't quit things in our family or go home and go to her room for a time out. She choose her room. So we left.

As soon as we get into the car to leave she wants to go back in. I tell her no, she already made her choice. She tells me she just wants to go home and relax, she is tiered, wants Mommy and Daddy to hold her, wants gymnastics and is tiered.

After we get home and she has her time out. We talk. We tell her that she only has one more class left and then she does not have to do it any more if she chooses not to BUT she has to finish.

Here is what I learn:

• Simone just wants Mommy and Daddy time after being gone all day!
• Friday afternoon classes do not work for Simone. (She goes to preschool/extended for the day so that makes for really long days. She attends five days a week.)
• This was suppose to be fun and it is not. She might enjoy this better if she was fresh and not had such a long week.
• Even though we find a GREAT teacher with a fabulous class it might not be the best match for Simone.
• At this age summer will work just great for these types of activities.
• Simone likes gymnastics.
• When Simone decides she is not going to do some thing she will not do it at that MOMENT!
• Understanding and looking at things from her perspective.
• It's OK if Simone does not want to sign up again for activities that she tries. She might never want to do it again or she might later.
• Slow DOWN.
• Just being together is enough.
• There is no question that she knows what she wants.
• I find it hard not to laugh when she frowns her face, pouts her lip and crinkles her eys!
• We love our little GIRL!