I am often asked why my daughter Katelynn, age two, has such a unique and difficult different personality compared to my other three children. The explanation is quite simple, as my parenting plan has been deliberately and markedly different for Katelynn since the beginning. (After all, she is my last baby.) So, in light of all the curiosity surrounding my childrearing approach, I felt it only fair to share the methods of my madness success. Here’s how I do it:

Setting the Example

1. Teach your child the concept of taking responsibility by blaming yourself for all her problems. [Her therapist will blame you later anyway.]

2. No one is perfect. You can easily teach your child this concept by pointing out other family members’ flaws and weaknesses. Doing it to their faces also teaches her the concept of brutal honesty. She has to learn it sometime.

3. Give her lots of opportunities to learn from your mistakes. This one requires no further explanation. You make a LOT of mistakes.

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This evening, Rob was out of the house for about an hour running errands. Okay, to be honest he was grocery shopping because I was not in the mood to make a grocery run tonight. Or any other night. Or day.

Anyway.

So while Rob was gone, I helped Jake and Jenna with their homework and then ran around the house like a madwoman cleaning, straightening, and generally picking the place up. [To relieve some of my guilt.] And when Rob arrived home, I continued to fold laundry while he put the groceries away. Since I was not in the mood to do that either. I’m pretty moody by nature. In case you were wondering.

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Dear Emma,

You just finished your fourth week of pre-kindergarten and you love it. I always knew you would, but you have exceeded even my expectations of how well you would make the transition. I suppose after four years of playing with the same person day after day (me) you were ready for the change. We both were.

You seem so grown up. Many days, you get yourself dressed and brush your hair and teeth without anyone telling you to. You make sure your backpack is unloaded of yesterday’s papers and you never forget to grab it on your way out the door.

When we get to school each day, you give Katelynn and me kisses and hugs, put your backpack on, and let yourself out of the car. Halfway to the school’s front door, you turn and wave. Sometimes you blow a kiss too.

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