How often do we get to be heroes or heroines in our children’s lives? And what does it take to attain that status?

Well in my case a screw up caused by absent mindedness and distraction elevated me to that status. Ella and I drove to a play date and when we arrived at our destination I decided to leave the keys in the car. My friend lives on a farm and there is no danger of a car being heisted from her yard. I took the keys out of the ignition and placed them in the consul. Then I jumped out of the car and went around to retrieve Ella from her car seat.

When I pulled on the door handle it didn’t budge. I pulled again, but no luck - I had locked my daughter in the car. This had never happened to me before and I could have kicked myself.

*because raising children can be like living on a sharp edge

Last Sunday I shared my most recent challenges with my daughter Ella; she had become annoying, disobedient and unpleasant to be with in the last month. Behaviors such as running away every time I called her, throwing toys, breaking things, slamming doors, having a crying fit when she didn’t get her way, and basically ignoring everything I said to her were becoming routine. I knew I had to take matters in hand quickly.

I decided to use the time out system as I do not believe in physical punishment. Every time Ella was out of line I would give her one warning – but only one. If she did not correct that behavior, she would go to time out for three minutes (one minute for each year of age). Time out did not need to be in a bedroom or a room with a closed door; it was enough that I made her stay in a designated area such as a hallway. I would tell her that she would stay there until I allowed her to come out. If she came out before the three minutes were up, I would gently but firmly put her back. Would she go willingly and happily to time out? Are you kidding? Often she was kicking and screaming and always crying as if the world had come to an end. My daughter is quite the drama queen and can produce tears at the drop of a dime. But I did not relent, and each episode of time out she had to stay in the designated area for three minutes until I announced that her time in time out was up. At home I usually set a timer for three minutes.

*because raising children is sometimes like running on a sharp edge

My amazing and precious little girl turned three this week. I get emotional on my children’s birthdays; I consider parenting a blessing and an honor. The fact that I have four remarkable children never ceases to amaze me.

As I watched Ella dance and summersault her way around the house today I marveled at the little girl she has become: smart, curious, funny, sensitive, strong willed, feisty and oh so loveable. I just kept thinking how blessed I am to have her in my life. Each day is unique with this remarkable little girl.

Ella has a strong sense of family and is very attached to me. She often calls me her “best friend” which I find touching. She is no loner and wants company when she is playing, particularly her imaginative games. Being outdoors playing with rocks, sticks and leaves is probably right up there as her favorite pastime, but lately drawing with crayons is very popular as well. And when it comes to stories, she can sit and listen to them for hours. For her birthday we bought her a big doll house with lots of furniture and little people to fill it. She adores it and I think it will help pass some long days in the winter.

As my daughter Ella approaches her third birthday, I keep waiting for certain things to get easier. After all, the terrible twos, characterized by toddlers being negative about most things and saying ‘no’ to pretty much everything, accompanied by mood changes and temper tantrums, should be coming to a close as we enter a new, calmer period in her development. Well, it just isn’t happening that way. She is as feisty and stubborn as ever, and wants complete control of everything. Yes, I would characterize my almost three year old as a control freak.

I only started hearing about the “terrible threes” about a year ago, and frankly, I was skeptical. After all I’d raised three sons without this pesky stage, and anyway, had children changed so much in the last twenty years? The answer is a big resounding yes.