She's only FIVE!

The problem with having a five-year-old smart, sassy, and sharp daughter is that we often forget that she's FIVE! We often expect her to act her intellect not her age...Get what I mean? If a girl who can instantaneously figure out that her dad's sarcasm is about Hannah Montana and not that she has enough t-shirts, as I tried to explain, er lie about, then why can't she sit nicely thru dinner?

Well because she's five.

My husband started a new job at the beginning of the month. She has not been happy. I know it's all around our new schedule. On Mondays we have to get up 30 minutes earlier, but I reward her with a trip to Starbucks where we get to share a muffin after we drop off her daddy at his 8 am meeting. He also has to work until at least 5:30 every day and that means we pick her up with just enough time to get home to let the dog out before an accident happens. This also means that no more stopping to have dinner on the way home. This is not a good thing.

Essentially we're having adjustment issues with the new schedule. And of course daddies aren't immune to guilt either. Daddy guilt might be harder than mommy guilt because well, daddies aren't supposed to have guilt. I tried to explain how important Daddy's job is to her and she wasnt' buying it. All she cared about was that he has to work late some days (I think a total of 2 nights he's come home on the el instead of carpool with us) and she is pissed. I gently reminded her that mommy does the same thing. I have my meetings after work and I go on trips. "Mommy has another trip this week."

Cue the water works.

Yup, she bawled and pleaded for me to not go on another trip. "I only have 3 more trips, sweetie, then I'm done for awhile." "No, mommy! I need you here with me. I want you....."

Cue heart break.

I worry that this transition isn't going well and that we're on the verge of kindergarten. Hopefully she focuses on the fact that kindergarten is for HER and that she embraces it. Playing off 5yo selfishness does work for good some days. ;-)

This morning she was fine. Who knows what tonight will bring...maybe with some Olympics & cuddling she'll feel better.