The girls have leapfrogged again and Ava has taken a turn for defiance and temper tantruming. When she's asked to do something, she'll throw her hands in the air and say, "OK!!" with a really rough tone. If you comment on her rough tone, or become more specific about what action/emotion isn't pleasing you one bit, she'll tout back, "Just quittle me!", which we've come to understand as "Just quit bothering me."
I have started losing my temper about her newly found defianace and sense of entitlement about pushing her parents around. Where did my sweet child go? Fortunatley, us moms tend to talk with each other when frustrations like this arise and I've come to realize almost every one of us with kids in the same age-range is dealing with this issue. I've already read half of On Becoming Child-Wise and have been told by my mommy friends that 1-2-3 Magic is also a good resource for this type of problem.
The best remedy, however, I've found by watching my husband. At least half the time, he just sings, "Just quittle me" right back, teasing her. He'll start saying it in the most random of situations as well, which shows his skill for making the phrase a joke rather than getting upset by it. Perhaps this way, Ava will realize that it's not having the great button-pushing effect which will force her to come up with some new strategy...perhaps becoming the "good girl" again?? Let's only hope!
