Love, bubs and life on our little farm

So I have a 2.5 year old who may as well be turning 13. She has Attitude. So much so that people who spend a fair bit of time with us actually comment on it. Elka has always been a precocious child - advanced in her development and too smart for her own good. And I promise you, I am not bragging. In fact I commented today how nice it was that Bronte has been much more "average" so far in the speed of her development. Unlike Elka who was walking at 9 months, had a great vocabulary by 12 months and using advanced concepts at 18 months. Now at 2.5 yrs old, she plays with 5 year olds if given the choice as they will converse with her and play make believe games and so on. All good and well of course, and I am planning my retirement based on her certain success in some wonderfully paid career (please read with heavy sarcasm, I have no plans to be an academic stage-Mum.... I am much more interested in pushing her endlessly in sports of my choice that I failed in ;) )

But seriously, I am finding her Terrible Twos (don't talk to me about the upcoming Terrifying Threes!) an interesting time. She can be a bit of a bully at playgroups etc and I do come home from some social occasions shuddering a little. She isn't a big tantrum chucker, she is more about the stealth warfare and embarrassingly picks on smaller weaker children. And not in big noticeable ways, more in that ostracising way, where she tells them they can't play or they have to go away. She once walked up to a little kid in a play area and just simply screamed into his face until he broke down and cried. It was horrible. She fortunately doesn't tend to try to hurt Bronte, but she does love to try and wake her up (thank Wiggles for that one!) and she will sing extremely loudly in the car as soon as she sees Bronte's eyes close.

And if I confront her about doing something wrong. I will often say "What did you do wrong?" To which I get back crossed arms, teenager attitude and a very sullen "Nothing". Yes really my two year old mutters "Nothing" at me. I was expecting that from her when she was thirteen.

We typically punish with 1,2,3 and consequence, ie taking away her Bunny comforter, turning off her favourite show or bringing her home from wherever she is. Mostly works... but she is pretty hard to intimidate! Typically if I say, "Elka, stop that or I will take Bunny", she will then throw him to the ground and say "well I don't want him anyway". Takes the wind out of my sails! Likewise, we had to give up on Time Out as she would just do the naughty thing and then put herself in Time Out afterwards quite happily.

But like all parents and toddlers, we win some, we lose some. And sometimes the sheer brashness and resistance to intimidation that Elka has, will just bring us unstuck and we will laugh and laugh.

The other day we were driving down to the Gold Coast in some heavy rain, we were about 20kms away when Elka started trying to wake Bronte up with deafening yelling. Jase warned her "You better stop that or I will stop this car and get you out and you can walk to the Gold Coast". Well there is silence from the back as Elka considers this and she then pipes up with a thoughtful "Well did you pack my umbrella?". I did my best but the giggles started.

And that is why we love toddlers even when we are ready to punt them over a mountain.