I Don't Know Anything

Few things in life are more humbling than being a parent. My children conspire daily to show me that I really have no idea what I'm doing. You may have already read how I failed at the conversation about sex. Recently I was stumped by a 22 month-old who wouldn't say "sorry" to conclude her time-out. She'd had a few time-outs before, even put her baby doll in "TINE-OUP! more than once. She knew the routine well enough, knew exactly what was expected of her. She hugged me, but she was NOT going to say she was sorry. Frankly, I was torn. Should I keep making her stay in time-out until she actually said the magic word when the truth of the matter was, she probably wasn't sorry? Would I be teaching her to lie if I insisted? Supernanny, where are you when I need you?
Then there are the times when it's not so much that I don't know what to do, but that I simply don't know where my children came from. Most often this is because they are far more wonderful than I can account for, but sometimes it's because I just don't get them.

When it comes to fashion, Oldest Daughter is a lot like me. Not in the sense that I would wear an orange and black striped t-shirt with a pink and turquoise flowered skirt, but in the sense that she wears what's comfortable and what SHE likes, not what any fashion dictates. Middle Daughter (who will soon be 10) is another story entirely. Thanks to her grandmother who takes her on frequent trips to consignment stores in wealthy areas of town, she owns more pairs of shoes than the rest of her family combined and is totally on top of all that's trendy. I don't understand this part of her personality, but I've made peace with it. Or I thought I had. This morning she took it to a new level, though. As she was getting ready for today's soccer game, she told me that her soccer cleats are getting tight on her toes. After determining that this was in fact the case, I told her I'd get her some new cleats before her next game. "Ok Mommy," she said, "but can I please come with you? I want to pick out some that are fashionable." She saw the look on my face and laughed, but I know she wasn't deterred. When we go shopping, I'll be looking for cleats that fit her and seem comfortable, while she'll have her eye out for pink cleats with high heels and lots of sparkles.