But today my daughter defeated me.  My little, one year old daughter reminded me how hard it is to make someone else change.  My pediatrician, who I adore because of his straightforward,  non-wishy washy style, told me in no uncertain terms that my daughter needed to be off her bottle (drinking from a cup) and no pacifier by her 15 month visit.

No problem, I thought!  My son picked it up in no time, and she seems a bit more advanced in the motor skills than he was at this age.  I was additionally bolstered by her ability to drink out of a straw the first time I gave it to her!  So proud I was!

So the first day, we tried.  She refused.  I stubbornly did not let her have a bottle, thinking that if she knew she threw a fit and got the bottle, she would just throw a fit every time.

Second day, same deal.  Nerves were wearing thin.

Third day, I gave up.  I gave her the bottle and she gobbled it up with grateful slurps.  Back to square one.

During my frustration I kept thinking that if I just held out, I would win.  But her blatant stubbornness (sometimes batting the cup to the ground in refusal) reminded me of rule #1 of change:  you can’t make someone change if they don’t really want to, or at a minimum, don’t understand the negative consequences of not changing.  My daughter doesn’t understand why she needs to change.  She just knows what she knows and likes it that way.

I will eventually have to fight this battle but I am hoping that in a month her little independent spirit will egg her on to wanting to use a cup like her brother.  Pretty hard to communicate consequences to a one year old.  An amazing reminder that knowing what happens whether or not you change actually changes the game.