Yesterday we had speech therapy. I love love love our speech therapist! She is great for Ruthie - she never lets her get away with defiance and disobedience, and she handles her strong-will very gracefully. A lot more gracefully than I do at times. Long story short - Ruthie was determined she WAS going to open those cabinet doors, even though she had been told not to several times, and when her therapist removed her from the doors, Ruthie tried to hit her.
Yes, I said "hit."
I was mortified. She has never done that to anyone else, but this is not the first time she's tried that with this therapist. Normally she doesn't care if you re-direct her - she'll either find something else to do or go right back to what she was just removed from and do it again, while looking you directly in the eyes. :) (Defiant much?)
Her therapist handled it so well and that was the last of the striking out for that session, though sadly, not the end of the defiant behavior.
Sigh. I need to read some books on how to raise a strong-willed child or we're going to be in real trouble. :)
After the EI left this morning, I settled Ruthie in the exersaucer to have her feeding. She always gets to watch Mickey while she feeds, because frankly, it's the only way to keep her there happily.
"Um, Momma, you're in my way. I can't see Mickey."
Multi-tasking = being able to chew on toys and never lose sight of Mickey.
You definitely have your hands full! I understand being mortified by our children's behavior, but you know Ruthie's therapists understand, as do many others, that kids can behave in ways that have NOT been modelled for them at home.
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