Motivational Surprise

Lately, Little Dude has been wanting to wear only one specific pair of shoes. The problem is, this one pair has shoelaces. Every parent out there knows exactly why this is an issue. Usually when you are rushing around trying to get everyone mostly dressed, homework and lunch in the backpack, breakfast eaten and everyone in the car...the 3 year-old needs you to tie his shoes, causes everything to come to a screeching halt. Why, of all the mornings when you don't have the time, why oh why, can't he wear the slip-ons or the Velcro shoes?

In trying to avoid these breakdowns, I have told him that he needs to alternate his shoes. Little Dude does not compromise well if it is not what he wants at the time. He's what I like to refer to as stubborn. Some mornings, this alternate shoe method works, some mornings it doesn't.

Last night he wanted to go outside to play and I told him to wear his slip-ons or Velcro; I was making dinner and couldn't stop to tie his shoes. He threw his customary fit, but I stayed strong and told him that if he could tie his own shoes, he could wear them whenever he wanted. Surprisingly, the next 30 minutes involved him sitting down in the kitchen, tying and retying his own shoes, while I made dinner. Unfortunately for him, dinner was made before he got his second shoe tied well enough.

Little Dude in one session of stubborn pride, managed to get the basics of shoe tying down. Since Little Dude has always excelled in the motor skills department, I imagined I had a few more sessions using this argument before he would pick up the nuances that made the bow actually stay tied.

This morning the fire alarm decided to wake up the kids promptly at 6:00 AM. A train could pass by the house and neither kid would even stir in their sleep. A low battery that causes a fire alarm to "chirp" wakes them up effectively. Now we had 2 hours before we even needed to leave for school!

Breakfast is made and eaten. Tonight's homework is completed. Kids are dressed. Lunch is made. Only 1 hour left before school. Little Dude decides he wants to play outside in the backyard. We have a discussion  about tying his own shoes and he disappears.

After about five minutes of eerie quiet, he screams, "Mommy, I did it!" He comes running around the corner with one shoe tied correctly. Inside my head, I am screaming, "Yay!" with him because he's only 3 years old and he just did something awesome. Outside I have to maintain my poise and say something like, "Great job! Now let's get the other one done."

This remaining shoe took about 3 minutes, but he did it! Then I got to give him high fives and congratulate him thoroughly. Then the realization that he can actually tie his own shoes hit me....yes, I did a happy dance.

For you doubters out there, Princess was conveniently located at the kitchen table reading her book, while I was drinking my coffee. Military Dad was already at work, so he had absolutely no help in tying his shoes.

Also, for those worried about the fire alarm battery...that's another story; however, a brand new smoke detector has been installed with a fresh new battery for back-up.