Not having had a lot of experience with children before having one myself, I knew very little about timelines for behavior and growth benchmarks.  I read a half-dozen books during my pregnancy, but am still surprised on an almost-daily basis at how fast my “baby” is turning into an independent little person.  Things I expected to happen around four, or at least three, are happening already.  And it’s a bit jarring sometimes.

Last week, I got home from work and was greeted by my babysitting mother, who had a bemused look on her face.  When asked to elaborate, she said “we have a new bedtime routine, apparently.”

Now, I’ve been proud of our ability to establish a schedule and routine with my daughter, from dinner to crib.  She seems to like having a plan, and will recite it for you: “Dinner, bath, jammies, brush teeth, brush hair, Mama read stories, go ni-night in the crib.” 

Well apparently, she decided one step needed adjusting.  Mom handed me the digital camera.  Pictured was my daughter, sitting in the rocking chair, reading stories to her Snoopy.  Alone.

When they got to that step, she told my mother “Baby read stories herself to Snoopy.”  (“‘Herself’?”  my mother interjects at this point.  “She knows the word ‘herself’?”)  She asked for her blanket and her binkie, and a stack of books.  Mom complied.  “Go please,” my two-year-old then instructed her, adding “close the door.”

She’s TWO!

After that, it’s been the same every night.  She “reads” a few books to Snoopy, ensconced in her blanket and the rocking chair we’d previously shared.  She’ll usually let me or her sitter rock her in the dark afterwards, as we used to do, so at least we haven’t been totally shipped out to pasture on the bedtime ritual.

There are other “Baby do it myself!” moments throughout the day – she wants to Velcro her own sneakers (I could force her to need me by buying shoes with laces, I suppose.  HA!), she takes off her own socks… Lately she evens wants to undo her own diaper.  But we don’t need that kind of mess, thank you!

Her burgeoning independence has its benefits and fun moments, of course.  She’s been helping me load and unload the dishwasher and washer/dryer since she was eighteen months old.  She shocked me months ago when she inserted her “Thomas the Tank Engine” tape into the VCR, turned it on, and pushed “Play.”  She just mastered peeling her own banana and using a straw.  She’s got the fork and spoon down pat.  And thankfully, she seems to enjoy brushing her own teeth and hair (although, Mommy gives them both a once-over after she’s done).  She is now also fully responsible for feeding the cats at dinnertime (after I open the can for her).  That’s pretty cute – especially when she calls them: “Kittieeeeees!   NUM-nums!”

I’ll take advantage of her desire to stretch her independence muscles, and enjoy her volunteering to help out with cleaning up and other menial chores as long as I can.  I know eventually she’ll adamantly refuse to load the dishwasher, will expect me to do all her laundry, and will demand “… and close the door!”

Oh, wait…