Sometimes My Daughter Listens

Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a block of wood when I talk to Sophia.

Sit like a lady.
Use manners at the table.
It doesn't matter who gets to the gate last.
Use your best handwriting.
Use the correct fingering on the piano.
Keep track of your gloves.
Close the door.

On and on.  Over and over.  Broken record.  I don't think she hears me a good deal of the time.

But sometimes she listens.

She's gotten into a bad habit of eating while she watches TV.  This started because if she's watching TV she's sitting still, taking a break from whatever she's been doing.  It's a nice, quiet time for a snack.  But, I've noticed that she wants to eat the entire time she's watching TV.

Now, I'm careful to avoid the f(at) word at home.  We talk about making healthy choices, and there are some times when we are definitely more mindful about what we're eating.  Little girls are having enough body image issues I don't want to contribute.  But this time I told her that she can't just eat constantly in front of the TV.  When we watch TV we're distracted, and not really paying attention to whether we're hungry or not.  It's easy for people to get big when they eat in front of the TV because they eat more than they need.

She barely acknowledged what I said.  But, when she and her daddy ate breakfast on the couch in front of the TV I heard her say, "Mommy said," and she gave the whole speech.  She heard me.  Now it's time to establish new habits.