She has entered a very, VERY irritating phase.

“I can’t!”, which she says if she either a) doesn’t WANT to do something, or b) doesn’t THINK she can do something (when it is obivous she CAN) – which probably can really just be included in the first item.

Yesterday evening she tossed one of her baby dolls onto our bed, and it was just out of her “normal” reach, but if she stretched and got up on her toes, reaching it would’ve been very easy.  It was *just* at the tip of her fingers if she reached with no effort.  And I had a pile of clean clothes on the bed, so I did not want her to climb onto it to get the doll.  So instead of trying to reach the doll by stretching a little bit and getting on her toes, she just stood there with her arm outstretched on the bed, just within reach of the doll, whining “I can’t!”.

Then she decided to toss a small ball onto the bed, which WAS out of reach for her.  And went back to the corner of the bed, which she uses to climb up, and tried to use it an excuse to get both items.  I told her, no, she has to reach to get her doll FIRST, then she can climb up to get the ball.  (Yeah, I know, kind of against the reason I didn’t want her on the bed in the first place, but I didn’t tell her why I didn’t want her on the bed, so that really doesn’t matter in this case).

And you know what?  Just like that, she stretched a little on her toes and got her doll. I told her, “See? I knew you could do it! Now you can climb up and get your ball.”

Anyway, I think I might just go batty with this phase.  I’d almost rather deal with a tantrum than the pathetic “I can’t!” whine.  Ugh!

Tags: Baby Dolls, Tantrum