The Price of Independance

Toddlers love to do things themselves. Charlie is no exception. He wants to comb his own hair, wash himself at bath time, put his diaper in the trash, and on this particular day, he wanted to put his shoes on all by himself. It all started off so innocent and sweet. In fact, I grabbed the camera to document Charlie's determination as he attempted to put his new shoes on. He got one shoe on with little effort, but the second one was not so easy. I let him try for a few minutes, and then I offered to help. He refused my assistance and continued to work at getting that last shoe on his foot. Suddenly, it took a very ugly turn. There is not need for details...the pictures say it all.

After about 45 minutes of crying, shoe throwing, wall kicking, and spitting, the fit finally came to an end. Oh dear! This is only the beginning of the toddler years. Please let me have the patience to handle these moments in the future!!!