You Don't Need to Tell Me

I do many things wrong as a mother, but today I thought I was doing something right. I was building my young, impressionable daughter's self-confidence by praising the cozy bed/tent she made for her stuffed animal.

"Oh, that looks cozy!" I said, eager to laud her efforts.

Her response: "I know. You don't need to tell me that. Okay, mom? You don't need to tell me because I already know. So don't say that."

Alrighty then.

Not 30 seconds later, she asked me, "Do you like my bed I made? Doesn't it look cozy? Look at all the blankets."

Biting my tongue, I answered with glee, "Oh, yes. That looks cozy. I wish I could sleep in it."

No wonder I rarely seem to get it right. I didn't realize how often the rules changed.