Our daughter is destructive. It hurts me to say that because for so long I was proud of how gentle she was with her favorite toys: her books. Even from five months old she would hold her books and stare at them in wonder. She was never violent with them, didn't tear pages and was ever so gentle when reading.
And then, only when we're not looking, this tiny little page ripper comes out of nowhere! Within the past couple of months she has wreaked havoc on countless books - tearing pages, covers, you name it. She has not quite destroyed any volume more than packing tape could repair, but the results have been frustrating nonetheless.
Today was the last straw. When I found her in bed this morning she was holding a part of the cover from her storybook from just last night. After a sound spanking I explained to her that she could no longer be trusted with her books and, therefore, would lose the privilege of having them in her room.
Problem. She has an entire six-foot bookshelf devoted to every children's book we own (save the six that are in Emmett's room). Clearing the shelves and re-locating that many books in a location not easily reached by toddler hands is quite the feat. And I knew only clearing the space within her grasp was not an option because our little girl is resourceful and I feared her risking her life just to gain access to one beloved book.
Sigh.
So, by this afternoon our bed was covered, and I mean covered, in hardbacks, paperbacks, board books and even volumes belonging to my mother when she was a young girl. I've only just begun storing them out of sight from the little monster.
I have yet to determine how she'll earn them back, but I'll admit, the removing of the books had the unintended side effect of ensuring our daughter stayed in her bed after her nap - a goal we've been trying to achieve for months now. With nothing on her shelves to pull out and sit with in the corner of her bed as she flips through the pages, there is little motivation for moving at all. Kind of sad, but kind of refreshing.
Don't even bother reminding me that in the absence of written entertainment our child will soon be turning to the sunscreen, thermometer, lotion and wipes located on her changing table. I just choose not to think about it.
I'm sorry, I had to laugh at the close phrase. Just because, child training is exactly like that!! You don't seem to even get a moment to realize the glory of a goal achieved before it's on to train something else. Poor Micaiah, hopefully this will help her miss them and you can keep reiterating proper care and love for her books. Did you get sidetracked while you were relocating them? I was packing away books myself today (what are the odds?) and kept losing track of time checking out old favorites!!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me how quickly she learned that we would try to fix something that "boke" (as she would say). The idea that some things can't be fixed or that even if they are fixed, they'll be in much worse condition doesn't seem to occur to her.
ReplyDeleteThe innocence of youth and the absolute confidence that mommy and daddy can fix anything amazes me almost daily.
I'm so sorry, but also kind of amused by your post.
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