Not nice

My daughter has begun to demonstrate some of the defiance that is common in toddlers her age. One of the ways this manifests is in her rejection of all things, regardless of how appealing they may actually be. Other times, however, it would appear that she is simply being herself. When we ask her what she wants to be for Halloween, she has repeatedly said, “I just want to be Clara.”

The other day I was reading her a book that invited the reader to play the role of a fruit. I asked Clara what fruit she wanted to be.  She said, “I’m not a fruit. I’m Clara.”

As a result of these developments, it sometimes appears as if my daughter has developed a bit of a contrarian streak, which mayor may not resemble her father’s own streak of contrariness.

 

Either way, it’s perfectly normal, regardless of what my wife may say.

A recent conversation between my wife and my daughter:

Wife: I’m going to make a cake.

Daughter: Don't make a cake!

Wife: You get your contrarian nature from your father.

Daughter: I'm sick, Mommy.

Wife: That's one way to think of it.