Doing what you're told

Like most small children, our two regularly push the boundaries of what is and isn't acceptable and they seem to think doing what they're told is sort of optional. Explaining to them that they'll get hurt if they don't do what mummy or daddy says is all very well but I'm not mean enough to withhold a cuddle when one of them falls off the swing I've told them a hundred times not to stand up on.

Suggestions of particular preferred ways of behaviour are often met with replies like, "Go away you naughty daddy." or "I don't like you, I like mummy." or even, "If you say that again I will cut your head off and put it in the rubbish bin."

I don't think either of our children are particularly naughty though, the boy is often pointed out as a really caring and thoughtful child and Fifi is only two after all.

Still, it sometimes grates when we hear that the boy often just blindly does what other little boys tell him to do at school without a moments hesitation. In the post mortem afterwards, we often ask him exactly why he did something and his reply is usually "well, xxxx told me to of course."

a pair of scissors, yesterday

This week he really bested himself though. School has been a gradual two weeks of induction and ever lengthening days, with yesterday being the first actual full day. So the boys first full day coincided with his first trip to the headmistresses office. One of the other little boys suggested they took themselves off to the craft corner and cut their school jumpers up with scissors.

Evidently we need to invite this small child round for disciplinary tasks since the boy followed his instructions to the letter. Obviously if we had suggested something similar we would have been met with a look of disgust...