I am still trying to figure out how to best convey the message that it is not okay to dump food on the floor if you are angry. Anna is three and is still very much working on the terrible twos. When she gets angry, she will throw something, push something (or someone) or bite an object that she is having trouble with (interestingly enough, she doesn't bite people. But if a toy is not responding the way she apparently thinks it ought to, she is known to actually bite the darn thing).

Today I served her some tuna fish in a bowl. I walked out of the room to check messages on my computer and came rushing back into the room when I heard the bowl, spoon and contents clatter to the floor. She said she did it because she did not want to eat it, though I'm thinking that me leaving the room might have prompted her to do something to get my attention.

After a nice time out session, and I made her clean up the mess, I told her that she couldn't have any cookies for the day - that is, of course, the real punishment for a three year old.

But it is still so frustrating. I forget sometimes how hard it is to reason with a three year old. Most of the time, Anna is very mature for her age, and can carry on a real, adult level conversation. I think that we we get into the cause-effect issues or topics of behavior, she slips right back into the terrible twos mode. Doesn't she know that she's three now and not two?

Anyway, I really hope she'll be better behaved later. We are dressing up for Purim and I'm hoping that it will be a nice end to quite a trying afternoon.