I joked when we got the dog that she was our child that we could return to the pound if she was bad. Of course I'd never return her, but there are days I definitely question our moment of insanity when we got her and I wonder how on earth I'll ever deal with the reality of children for 20 years before they disappear to start their own lives.
Betsy is a lesson in parenting every day since we got her in January. Currently she's digesting some jelly beans she snuck from a box of trash by the door (Amanda trying to motivate us to lose weight by throwing away everything good in the house). I pushed Betsy off the bed after she wouldn't stop whining about nothing thus in my mind deserving loss of privileges such as sitting on furniture. It wasn't two minutes before she came slinking back into the room looking guilty. Upon arriving at me, she rolled over and casually tried to drop a half-eaten lemon jelly bean onto the floor as if she had no idea how it got there. Oh, she knew alright, but I told her it was fine, "You'll deserve it when you throw up now." And pretty soon I think you can see how I'm not quite cut out for parenting yet.
We've been through everything from manners towards strangers, not eating dirt, not wetting the carpet (have to re-learn that every week right now), eating all of our dinner, not getting treats unless we're on good behavior, not whining and crying about nothing, when it's ok to play and when it's not ok to bark loudly. None of these are mutually exclusive and I think I speak for Amanda when I say that both of us are exhausted most days trying to keep up with the dog and her antics. Precious though she may be, she is a challenge and the level of challenge which I can rise to right now. Parenting practice continues for now...
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