Today I have a guest post from another fellow East Valley Moms Blog Contributor, Ashleigh!  Ashleigh is part of a writing duo over at the cute blog Capture Sunshine.  After reading today’s blog, I’d say our daughter’s have a lot in common:)

Last month my little family of four drove out to southern California for a family reunion. The trip out was pretty uneventful.  I always prefer driving, unless I’m reading a good book, but in this case I had downloaded an audio book so I drove most of the way.

As we got closer to our destination I turned off the book and turned on the radio.  I’m not a huge music buff, but I do love me some top 40’s hits and I have no issues with singing along.  My daughter, on the other hand, does have issues.

This is where things get good. My sweet daughter is 2 1/2 and she was a little bit of a late talker and so she just recently found her voice.  She doesn’t like it when I sing and she would just grunt and whine until I stopped.

When I started singing on our trip, she started whining, and my husband said in a mocking tone, “Stop singing, Mom!”  At which point my impressionable two year old repeats him, “Stop singing, Mom!”

That was the beginning of the end. I love to listen to the radio.  I love to sing.  But my daughter, not so much.  I’ve tried toddler music.  I have tried easy listening.  I have tried pop music.  I’m at a loss.

Whenever I start singing she says, “No singing, Mom!”  And if I keep singing she just says it louder and louder and louder until she’s on the verge of crying.

There are times when she demands that I do sing. Her current favorite is “Hot Dog” from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  I don’t know the words so I always make up new ones which doesn’t seem to bother her, but man that song is annoying.

Is this the end of singing along to the radio for me? Is this the beginning of my daughter telling me what I can and can’t do for the rest of my life?  Is this the point where I can only sing songs if she’s okay with it?  Has anyone else ever had this problem?  Do all little girls have such strong opinions about things like this?

I am going to keep singing. I am going to keep annoying my daughter.  I am going to pray that my little girl will eventually just start singing along to the radio with me because let’s be honest, I’m all about the bass.

 

 Ashleigh and her husband moved to Arizona three years ago.  She taught special education in the Gilbert School District for two years before having her baby girl.  At that time she stopped teaching and now her family has increased by one with the addition of a baby boy. Ashleigh grew up in California and then moved to Utah where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Special Education from Brigham Young University. You can also find Ashleigh at capturesunshine.wordpress.com.