Not a Dinosaur

The setting:  bath time.  Elaina is continuing to stand up in the tub after I’ve repeatedly told her to sit down.

I’ve gone from “Honey, you need to sit down and here’s why….” to “Elaina!  Sit down!” and I’m still not having the impact I’m after. 

So, I decide to try to make my voice a little gruffer, let a little of my frustration leak into it.  “This  will get her to listen”, I think to myself.  “I hate to have to use the angry voice, but it’s for her own good….”

“ELAINA!”  (Yeah, that’s nicely gruff….)  “SIT.”  (Grrr! This is really going to do it….)  “DOWN”.

“Daddy, you’re not a dinosaur!” she says, laughing.

Of course, that broke the tension, and she did sit down anyway.  Just not for the reason I expected. 

---- perspective shift:  Elaina  ---

So, Daddy’s been telling me to sit down….  (Yeah, my internal monologue is a lot like his.  Maybe it’s because his internal monologue isn’t as internal as he thinks it is.) 

I just don’t see what the big deal is.  Sure, I’m standing in the tub.  I’m not dancing in the tub or jumping in the tub. 

He’s not really paying enough attention to me.  He’s refilling the humidifier, throwing my clothes in the laundry….  Bath time is about bubbles and splashing and serving bubble tea to Daddy—and I can’t do that unless I get him to stop what he’s doing and focus.  This is working nicely.

Wow!  That’s a new voice.  He sounds silly.  Kind of like a….”

“Daddy, you’re not a dinosaur!”

He’s laughing.  That’s good.  Ah, and he’s settling down to pay attention to the bath.  Now we can get down to business.

“I’ll get you some tea, Daddy.”

So, in the end, he did  turn his attention to the bath.  Just not for the reason he expected.