Ivy has a million ideas, daring, dangerous.
She tries things even when I tell her not to
I explain why not
I plead
I set boundaries
To no avail.
She sometimes listens
Most often she doesn’t
Today I couldn’t see where she was when picking her up
Nadia told me she lost a tooth
and went to the bathroom
There was blood.
She came out so proud
There is one issue
None of her teeth were due to fall
None were loose.
First thing she said was that two of her colleagues lost a baby tooth each
One can’t underestimate the determination of a little girl
Even if is misguided
She convinced herself that she had a loose tooth
So she pulled it out
But not entirely
Her root is still there
She broke it in half
And who knows what the next step is
Should we try to pull the rest of it out?
Will it absorb within?
Why is my 8 year old so stubborn?
She entered a defiant stage
And only attachment and trust can pull her in
But that takes time and energy and presence
Commitment and unconditional love
But we need to keep our sanity
Out balance
Oh, sweet defiant Evelyn
I hope you trust and listen
I hope you’ll obey my guidance and direction
I hope I can listen to my instinct
My sweet young daughter
There are sparks
and there is polishing
and rubbing the wrong way
I’m tired of fighting
I’m tired of this return on investment
Disgruntled children
Disobedient
I long for lightness and trust
Of joy and resting in the present