Let me start this one by admitting that I am a total perfectionist. I do things 100% and I have great difficulty delegating to anyone else. I like things done a certain way and that is most often "my way." Sometimes this trait is an asset, but when it comes to parenting I am being forced to learn to roll with things a bit more.
That being said, this morning I began my routine after breakfast of getting all the kids dressed. Now that Mary Catherine is 3 she has a very strong opinion of what she wants to wear. Her requirements are simple... It must be fancy, it must be pink, and it must be sparkly. It is near impossible to get the girl into anything that is not a dress or skirt. While I was busy dressing the boys she went into her closet and selected her own outfit. It was a pink t-shirt with a pink tutu skirt finished off with purple and blue crocs. In retrospect it really wasn't that bad, but of course I had something quite different in mind. I tried my usual tactics to bargain with her, hoping that maybe she would change the top or the bottom to keep it from being SO much pink. Of course all efforts failed. She was determined and she was quite proud that the managed to match the pinks.
After much ado I caved and let her wear the all-pink ensemble. (Really, did you see that cute face? I didn't stand a chance). I am almost guilty telling this story now because it was really so minor. The only reason I bothered to write about it was because I realized that in the end we both won this battle. She left the house with a little extra pep in her step because she had won the power struggle and because she was truly excited about her little outfit. I, on the other hand, learned that no one on this earth even noticed other than me. Mary Catherine and all our children are put here to teach us about ourselves. Reluctantly I am letting go of the little things and learning how freeing it can be to be a great mom without being a perfect mom.
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