Saturday, 27 August 2016

The Bin

Bella is messy, wildly messy, she leaves carnage in her wake and to make it worse she loves tiny toys which she collects up and then releases dramatically into the wildness of our flat. I can for the most part cope with the toys, the big issue I have is with food.As soon as she reaches a food she doesn't want (crusts, a funny looking chip) or reaches the end of a packet of crisps for instance. She drops it on the floor. Not on her plate, or the table, not even passing it to me...it goes straight on the floor. This happens in our house, at school, in restaurants and it's just not cool. img_-icg9m4
As a single parent I'm not prepared to sit with her while she eats catching everything before it reaches the ground, I have stuff to do, and sometimes I'm eating at the same time so, y'know, priorities.
Every now and again I realise that I am truly and utterly stupid and I have these realisations which hit me like lightening bolts. Our kitchen has a stairgate on it to stop her from getting in and causing havoc. So, even if she knew to put her rubbish in the bin...how could she? It's in the kitchen. This week I found an old toy bucket and put it in the living room and after she'd finished one of packets of crisps I (picked up the discarded crisp packet and put it in her hand) picked up the bin and said 'in the bin.' She obliged quite quickly, I was impressed and also happy that she didn't freak out.
15 minutes later (don't judge) she finished her second packet of crisps and LO AND BEHOLD she walked over and put the packet in the bin. Amazed wasn't anywhere near what I was feeling. This summer her willingness to try and learn new skills has been fantastic. Her (usually titanium strong) will has been more flexible than I've ever known it.
The next day I carelessly handed her a packet of crisps in the kitchen and I watched her quickly vanish into her bedroom with them. Parent fail right there, but damn she is fast...and I was tired. Later I (having forgotten about the rogue packet of Worcester Sauce Walkers) wondered into the living room to find the empty packet in the bin. A day later. Unprompted. No reminders. Who is this child and what have they done with Bella, actually scratch that I'm happy with this one!
Who knew a bin could bring such joy!
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