My mother - Ugh!

As I think you know my mom is here, supposedly to help out with Kate, etc. Truthfully she is not much help and sometimes is more of a pain. The whole time she has been here, she has put Kate to bed twice and both were fairly forced on her by us. She has unrealistic expectations of what kind of self-control a two year old has. Mom doesn't want to brush Kate's teeth b/c "I won't fight with her" - Hello? She is 2 - of course she doesn't like having her teeth brushed and is going to protest. She protests to some degree every night - Todd just makes her do it anyway. That is what you do with toddlers - make them do things that are good for them. They are too young to understand consequences - that is why there are parents. It is our job to make them do the right thing, even if you have to force it a bit sometimes. Can't just let her run around eating nothing but cookies and never brushing her teeth, just b/c she complains about it.

In the car today, Kate says "Grandma" and my mom ignores her. She wants the child to have manners, and for 2 yrs old her manners are quite good, but yet she rudely ignores Kate when Kate is trying to talk to her. I said "mom, Kate is calling you" and Mom says "well, she should just say what it is she wants". And another statement to the effect of "she doesn't really have anything to tell me, she is just saying my name to get attention". Hello??? Once again, she is only two and maybe she just wants Grandma's attention on her for a few minutes. My mom routinely ignores Kate - it is very annoying to Todd and I. Mom will complain b/c she says I stop listening to her to talk to Kate. Well, first of all Kate will "mama" about a hundred times in a row if you don't answer her and my mom will also keep talking - do you have an idea how horrible that is? Makes me want to run screaming from the room. We are working on Kate waiting her turn to talk but that is skill for slightly older children. Also, my mom NEVER shuts up. You have to interrupt her to get a word in. Todd took her and Kate to the park and grocery store - by the time they got home over two hours later, he wanted to shoot himself.

Then the kicker tonight at dinner. Kate wanted a piece of bread b/c she saw Todd with some and the kid loves bread. We told her to eat her broccoli and then she could have some bread. She eats 80% of her broccoli and asks for bread again. I say ok and tell Todd to give her a 1/4 of a slice. Mom gets this disapproving look, shakes her head, and says "she sure does eat a lot of carbs. I'm surprised she's not fat." What the F***? Seriously, she is two and growing like a weed. And does she have to say this in front of Kate - does Mom think that Kate can't hear? Today Kate had a fruit smoothie and toast; Cheerios in the car with some raisins; 1/2 grilled cheese sandwich (wheat bread and organic cheese) with carrot sticks; 2 Pretzel sticks from Auntie Ann's at the mall; chicken and broccoli for dinner. Does this sound like the diet of a child who eats poorly? Geez, I know people who feed their children Pop Tarts and cheese puffs.

Ok, I think I can sleep now. Had to get that all out. I can't wait until she leaves!