3 Year Old Toddler...Going on 30

This mothering business sure is a hard nut to crack! I feel so blessed to have a husband who helps balance out my instinct to lose my cool after my near 3 yr old maxes out my patience in a standoff over which shoes he wants to wear! For if not, I'm not sure how I would ever reinforce my position as the parent, because the reality is I very much felt like falling on the floor kicking and screaming because he would not do what he was told!

It's truly interesting how smart they are at such a young age. He knows Honey and I are two different people; and as much as we try to approach things the same way, our tolerance levels, methods and approach are all very different. Still, he knows we both have boundaries and at some point he is going to have to give in.

So, we are currently going through a battle of preferences...
Me: Please get your shoes on so we can get ready for school.

3yo (in whining voice): I don't wanna wear the white ones.

Me: Do we whine? No we don't. You may wear the black ones if you like, they are in the closet. Please go get them and put them on.

3yo: *stares blankly like deer in headlights for a solid minute* then whispers, I want to wear the white ones.

Me: Okay, that's fine, just put on whichever shoes you'd like to wear.

3yo: I don't want to wear the white ones.

...repeat for 30 minutes...during which time, he gets 2 timeouts, 1 spanking and I about lose my mind.

After calling his father and discussing the situation, and the very near possibility of me putting my fist through the wall, the 3yo asks me:

Mama? Can I wear the black ones tomorrow?

Me: Of course you can. Would you put your white ones on now so we can have breakfast?

3yo: Okay.

That's IT?!! It was as easy as THAT?!! Why...OH WHY!!!! didn't I think of that?!!!

It's really amazing how our emotions can disable us from thinking clearly and rationally enough to figure out the simplist of solutions for the smallest of problems. And yet, there's proof!