Little Momma in the making

So Mikayla totally put her baby doll, affectionately named "Baby," in time-out today. She sat her on the couch and said "Baby, you wait!" (which is what I tell her to do when she is in timeout.)

The kicker of all of this, aside from the fact that it was the cutest thing I have ever seen, was that she put Baby in time-out just moments after she pushed Baby down the stairs in the stroller.

I should have punished Mikayla for throwing her doll down the stairs, because we don't treat our toys that way and she knows it, but I was honestly just so relieved that the LOUD THUMPING DOWN THE STAIRS was the stupid doll and not my sweet baby girl tumbling to her death. I about had a heart-attack.

Then I had a mommy "duh" moment. How often do I punish Mikayla for doing something naughty, when it was my neglegance in the first place that spawned the naughty behavior. Case in point: Ball point pen artwork on the couch: naughty behavior from child. A mother that walked away to go do laundry knowing that her 19-month-old had a pen in her hand: naughty behavior from mommy. DUH.

So Mikayla was just in fact doing what mommy does. Punishing Baby for something she herself did.

I have a lot to learn in the rules of parenting.

First on my list: Remove all pens from the reach of an exploring toddler. Oh, and.....never do laundry.

Check!