Sugar and spice...uh, are we sure about that???

Today has been one of those days. At school, after chapel, Piper refused to walk on her own, and she plopped down on the floor and wouldn't budge. I caught her sweet teacher picking her up to bring her back to class, so I made Piper walk and gave her time out for her 'tude and refusing to do what she was told. Since we have been home (3pm), she has been in time out 5 times. It is 4:42. I am truly fearful of the teenage years!! She reminds me of the velociraptors (sp?) in Jurassic Park, looking for the weakness in the fence. She knows her sweet teacher will give in, so she pushes. And she pushes her brothers, too, until I catch her. They cave on her for anything she wants, whether they have a right to it or not, bless their hearts. I am glad it is that way rather than the other way around!

Well, she just helped herself out of time out, so she's back in again.

It's so funny. Everyone I hear of who has girls first say they are easy and their boys(if they come later) are harder. I am sooo the other way around! While I am glad my girl is spunky(yeah, that's P.C. for a stinker), and that no one will get past her, she is a handful! I think I am probably having a hard time with the fact that there is someone else who needs to be parented differently and that is hard to do with all three kids at the same time, at the ages that they are. I struggle with the fact that a lot of things don't seem fair to her and I worry it will affect the way she thinks she is treated. Factors are things like her age (she can't do as much as big bros) or her behavior(she truly thinks she has been wronged sometimes, when it is just part of learning the rules). We aren't big spankers (the boys next to never get one), but at this age, until they are older and able to understand the rules and punishment is more along the lines of privilege removal, swats and time outs are it. I don't believe that you can reason much with a 2 year old, so this is our approach. Please don't get into the whole spank/not to spank debate, that's not what this is about. But I am open to other options since while these do work, I worry about the fact that she doesn't see it happening to the boys and may have issues with that that could present themselves later.

Anyone with their strong willed kids have any other methods? Her infractions aren't huge, but have to be addressed. They tend to be refusal to cooperate or take "no" as an answer.

That said, here are some pictures of my cutie pie in her (RED) jammies and being little Mama to her big brother, wiping the snot from his nose. I love it!