Independence

Big step towards independence is being taken these few weeks. Abi no longer needs an adult audience/companion when she goes to use the toilet. She never used to be able to poo without telling someone and recently she just goes into the toilet quietly, washing hands afterwards without prompting. Just need to remember to flush!

She has started to negotiate lots of things, maybe because the adults seem to spend lots of time fussing over Pascale instead of her? She sometimes says of Pascale "Isn't she cute?" and teaches Pascale lots of words "can you say Kau Fu?" and leads her in mischievious behaviour eg. water play, chalk drawing over the deck, climbing up to open the childproof latch, wild rocking on the see-saw at home... Abi also teaches Pascale when they are at the Boradway playgym, helping the little one to squirm and climb...

There are many negotiations and stand offs at meal times, and Abi doesn't want to eat meals just snacks. Won't come the first time dinner is called, won't drink milk except with milo added and then just the milo bits. Bathtime usually has calls for no splashing unheeded except after stern parental talking to, bubble baths are now regular lures to get into the bath, dessert a lure to get out. However sometimes Abi surprises with her eagerness to get in and out unprompted.