It's time for me to use my blog once again as a therapy session. This is where I pour out my terrible, awful secrets in hopes that I can change my wicked ways. (I know what you're thinking, and I would just make an appointment with Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred, but the good ones never come cheap, and I have 2 children to spoil this Christmas.)
Back to my problems. I lie to my daughter. When Little Man gets old enough I will probably lie to him as well. I'm seriously ashamed of myself, but it's true, and the worst part is I will probably continue to do this until they start catching on.
The lie I tell most often pertains to her nightly need for water. You know the ol' routine: jammies on, last chance for a snack, brush the teeth, don't forget to go potty, a couple of stories, turn on the lullabies, hugs and kisses and lots of goodnights, blah blah blah. Gabriella requires a glass of water next to her bed for those middle-of-the-night thirst emergencies. (In this case it's a leak-proof sippy cup, because she's three, and loves to make messes.)
The sippy cup stays in her room, and every 3 or 4 nights we throw it in the dishwasher and get her a fresh one. The nights we "recycle" the sippy cup, she insists on "fresh water". Meaning I have to take the sippy cup, dump its contents, and refill it with fresh-from-the-tap water.
Well let me tell you that I spend all day, every day with this little girl, and by the time we get to bedtime I'm in a fairly big rush to turn that light out and hit the couch leaving her behind to dream what I'm sure must be sweet Care Bear dreams. I don't always feel like spending another 90 seconds of my day waiting on her. So on occasion, when she asks for her fresh water, I will lie to her and tell her, "This is fresh water! I refilled it while Daddy was brushing your teeth."
I know this is wrong, and do feel bad. Really I do. But seriously, can you blame me?
No. Not at all!
Don't like to her! You think she just accepts what you say, but she is learning from your body language, voice tone, intonation, etc. Give the girl some clean water!
By 
, at
3:55 AM
Maybe it's time for "Your a big girl now, it's time for you to get your own water"
By 
TheBlurredOne, at
9:31 AM
I don't think that your wrong, I'll be the same way when my son gets older, i'm the same way now. He's only 18 months, but after chasing him around the house all day, the last thing i want to do is spend 2 hours getting him into bed.
Jolene
http://lustrous-stars.org/jolene
By , at
11:00 AM
Are you kidding?
Wait till she finds out the truth about Santa Claus!
It won't be the 'fresh water' that will send her to therapy, so relax. Your doing fine.
Sigmund, Carl and Alfred. You know where to find us.
By , at
11:04 AM
I think it's fine. I've done it with my son, and I completly understand wanting to get some me time!
heather
http://mommislife.blogspot.com
By , at
12:50 PM
maybe you can teach her to get own fresh water?
jesse
ipsoblogo.com
By , at
1:20 PM
I think if we are all honest we would say we have lied a little once in a while. And this is coming from a woman who willnot teach her kids their is a Santa becasue it's a lie and yet at times I hvae lied to my kids. how many of us have absent mindedly answered uh-huh to something our kids have said and we have no idea if it's an Uh-huh thing or not. Yes, I think truthfulness is iomportant but I'm jsut trying to say that nobody can get on their high horse and say you're wrong. We've all been there and done that.
Did Mia and Belle or whoever do your blog? She did mine too. I love her work.
By Mrs. Darling, at
2:53 PM
Yikes forgive the spelling above. I offer no excuses. It's just plain not right to type so sloppily. I wont lie. I did it.
By Mrs. Darling, at
2:54 PM
That really made me laugh. I have done the same thing to my boys. You feel a little bad afterwards, too. But then, you did save the 90 seconds, right?
Oh Man, I have even thought of telling that same lie to the dh... but he is too picky and can tell. It happens!!
By Crayonsetc, at
6:00 PM
Girl, I am right there with you! Don't be so hard on yourself. Really. Your daughter will turn out just fine having been deceived about a cup of water. Sometimes a little lie like that means a saving of your sanity. Like when my 3 year old is whining and crying and begging for chocolate milk as we are leaving the grocery store and I say "They ran out of chocolate milk, honey." Or something to that effect. We do the best we can as parents and it sounds like you are doing a bang-up job! Keep up the good work!
You don't give your daughter fresh water everynight?
why don't you re-fill her cup while you are in the bathroom so that you don't have to "waste another 20 seconds on her!" i would think most mothers would be more than happy to get their child a cup of fresh water, because I don't think 2 day old water tastes very good. espeically warm. ew. take the 20 seconds and get her fresh water, for crying out loud. I shutter to think of the germs and things that are in the water she is drinking!
And, I don't like to post annonymously, so my name is Vanessa and you can find my blog at www.atomic-rain.net/QuietInfinity
By , at
8:14 PM
I agree with some of the commenters. She's 3(?) years old. she should get her own water. My daughter is 18 months, and I make sure she helps get her sippy ready for bed time. She'll find one, bring it to me and stand on a stool holding it while I fill it.
I prefer to have a more independant child. There's no reason for me to do things for her, if she can safely do them herself.
But thats just me :)
Jennifer
www.undying-love.com
By , at
9:50 PM
Yikes! This seems to have caused some controversy. Don't worry, I think you're a terrific mom and yes I have lied to my daughter on occasion. To some people 90 seconds may not seem like a lot, but when you're tired at the end of a day, it can seem like an eternity. Princess gets her own water, that I agree with, it may be time to let her help get her own water. Hang in there :-)
By Crazy Single Mom, at
10:38 PM
Girlfriend, I have SO been there! My little one used to always insist on "fresh" water. She never drank it anyway. No harm, no foul. This is minimal. I had my kids convinced for years that they were allergic to dark chocolate. I posted once about all the little "untruths" I have told them over the years. It will give them lots to talk about in thereapy when they're older.
By , at
8:14 AM
That therapy comment was me. Sorry (stupid Blogger not letting me login from BE!).
Catt
http://cativa.blogspot.com
By , at
8:15 AM
I do the EXACT SAME THING every night!
Karen
http://verbatim.blogs.com
By , at
8:17 AM
Nope...don't blame you at all! It's not like you're giving her contaminated water. Some of these other commenters need to CHILL BA-BEEEE....lol By the end of the day we moms are beat, so I little leftover water will not hurt her one bit. You sound like a great mom!
Donna
(www.thruhazeleyes.blogspot.com)
P.S. Blogger would not let me sign in for some reason.
By , at
10:13 AM
Wow, I'm surprised some people got so up in arms about this! I've got 2 two year olds, and I'm TIRED of being their waitress by the end of the day. My big lie is chocolate. My son insists on chocolate syrup in everything, not for the taste, but he like the routine. Water, juice, you name it, he'll grab the syrup and hand it to me. I pretend to pour it in, and he's happy as a clam. No harm, no foul! He's not so ademant about it now, but it used to be the only way I could get him to close the fridge!
By SeeingDouble, at
11:01 PM
