My little fibber

A week ago Sunday (4/18) we had a potluck after church. That's not the interesting part (obviously). While I was standing in a long line waiting to get food, Makenna decided she had to go potty. I told her to do it on her own. This is nothing too new as I usually have her do it at home and I come in for the clean up process.

Once I got my food, I went looking for her in the myriad of bathrooms and other rooms that she could be in. I finally found her in a room with a piano. She was sitting on the piano bench, playing the keys (not banging them, but playing,) and singing, and turning the pages in a song book. I was smiling and so wishing I had a video camera with me. It's moments like those that make you melt.

Cut to today...she told her first fib. She wanted to watch a Curious George movie and I told her, "No, we don't watch movies before pre-school." We allow her to watch something semi-educational on the Disney channel. It's usually Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Special Agent Oso. After I said no, she immediately turns to Chris and asks him if she can watch Curious George. He tells her the same thing I did.

A bit later, she comes up to me again while Chris is getting ready for work and asks again. I again told her no. She then says to me, "Daddy said I could." I about dropped to the floor. I looked at her and said, "No he did not!" I tried to explain to her that we don't do fibbing. How do you explain lying to a toddler?

We tried covering it when she would tell me she had to go potty when she really didn't. I just don't know how to go about explaining the concept. Anyone willing to help give me pointers?

She has now also picked up saying please repeatedly. She'll ask for something and then if I'm hesitant, or say no, then she'll say, "oh please, please please!" Each please getting more desperate then the previous.

Her "talking-back" has also increased. I think we just have to be really consistent in nipping that in the bud. I'll say, "Makenna, I told you not to do that." She'll say, "Well, Teri, I told you ......" and she'll fill it in with whatever. It's hard not to laugh but when she repeatedly talks back it does get frustrating.

Or as Makenna will now say it, "frust-er-ating." "Teri, you're frust-er-ating me." Even her teacher at pre-school told me that she said it last week about a book that she was reading. Her teacher found it amusing. Yes, yet again, another word she picked up from me.

It's funny, but sad all the words and inflections and tones (and even yelling at times,) that she has picked up - makes you really stop and think before you do or say something - or it should.