Parenting 101

Saying I have vivacious or precocious children is quite the understatement.  In fact especially our Avonleah is what we have labeled "high maintenance" for lack of a better word!  She is that child who arises well before you are ready to face the morning and she is exuberantly happy and singing and hungry and excited for another amazing day.  She actually believes she has "sparkle magic" that can cure any ailment and save her from any danger and she has had literal falling out with friends over the fact that they don't believe in her "sparkle magic."  The other day when attempting a patient parenting talk over some unacceptable behavior we had the following conversation. . .

Me: "Do you think that the real world rules don't apply to you"
Avonleah: "No, only Avonleah rules in Avonleah world apply."

And later that day she tells me that Satan is always whispering things in her ear that she just has to follow sometimes because her sparkle swords aren't working so well. . .uhhh

Ummm excuse me. . .srsly these are the kind of things we face daily, she is creative and headstrong and amazingly funny.  I am oftened riddled by "helpful" people telling me that perhaps I should have her hearing checked because she's so loud, or that perhaps she has ADHD because she can't hold still for more than two seconds at a time, along with comments about how delightful she is. . .umm hello do they seriously think I haven't considered all these things?  We know she is full of more energy than most of us have in an entire month all put together and we're just as tired as the rest of you!
  But recently we have adopted a new idea of parenting for us.  We've been introduced to The Love and Logic format and let me just say that I have learned to appreciate this amazing "high maintenance" little girl of mine.  She does have a hard time sitting still and she is loud and she is living in an alternate universe most of the day but at the same time she is smart and funny and creative and forgiving and accepting.  She has really latched onto this form of parenting and it feels like I have an entirely different daughter.  The hardest part of the program is me. . .controlling . . .me. . .I don't get to raise my voice, or give in, or threaten or spank or let my guard down one single second.  Srsly it's wearing me out, but it's so worth it.   No, it did not happen overnight and it is still a work in progress.  In fact, after a particularly dramatic show of how long she could throw a fit over having to pick up the legos riddled with her yelling "star light, star bright, conk my mom on the head tonight!"  I called my big brother for some moral support and he says, "just be calm and tell her you'd love to have her join the family when she picks up the legos and calms down and then walk away."  It was amazing, when I just let it run it's course I felt like Super Nanny!  She picked up the legos, calmed down came in the living room and the rest of the night was happy and fine. . .I am a believer of Love and Logic. . .I guess I should have realized that parenting in a way that makes Jesus happy would work. . .sheesh