She's Really Listening

I remember reading a story in the Ensign or someplace a while ago about a frustrated parent who thought her young children never got anything out of Family Home Evening. She told about her toddler climbing on furniture or running around during the lesson, and how it was so hectic that no one seemed to pay attention. She thought she would never get through to her kids and wondered if it was even worth it to keep trying. A few days later she heard her child telling the same story that was given in Family Home Evening a few days before. Even though the little girl had been climbing on furniture and playing around, she was still listening and absorbing what her parents were teaching her.

Mierae has finally given us some signs that she has been absorbing what we seem to go over dozens of times every day. One day this week we were sitting on the couch and I was trying to ask Mierae if she had to go to the bathroom. She always tells me no when I ask her, even if she has to go. She looked at me and put up three fingers in front of me and said, "You have two actions: go wet on the toilet, take a bath with mommy, take a bath with daddy." I have no idea where it all came from, and I was trying to understand what she was saying when she rephrased for me, "You have two options!" We have been trying to teach her to make choices on her own, and Eric especially will tell her clearly what her options are. I guess it was finally sinking in! Too bad her option for taking a bath instead of going on the toilet wasn't okay!

A few days later I caught Mierae running away to her room and starting to grunt. I knew exactly what was going on, so I rushed her to the bathroom, and lo and behold, for the third time maybe, she got #2 in the toilet and not her underwear! I was so happy that I began my exaggerated praise and hugged and kissed Mierae as she sat on the toilet. Her response to me was, "Mommy, that make you happy?!" I only wish she could distinguish the difference in my emotions when she doesn't make it to the toilet. When she had an accident later that day and I was NOT smilling, she said in a timid voice as she sat on the toilet, "Mommy, that make you happy?" "No, sweetie, that doesn't make me happy." Maybe it will take a little longer for this one to sink in.

Mierae was on the couch yesterday eating an apple as she watched a movie. She started saying, "Mommy, I don't like the peanuts!" I didn't think much of it and thought maybe she was referring to something in the movie. But, I wasn't paying close attention until I realized she had said that same thing several times. I looked over at her and saw her trying to eat the core of the apple around the seeds. I asked her if she didn't like the seeds in the apple. And she said again, "Mommy, I don't like the peanuts." :)