Battles with children over silly things....

[Earlybird]

So, a few silly battles have already taken place today. First, we had the "I don't want to try on any of the new clothes mum bought to see if they fit" battle, followed by the "I want to choose what I want to wear" battle. DD has just left the house in very nice clothes - only problem is that none of them even vaguely match! She's in the mode that if clothes don't have some sort of design/flowers/pattern on them, she isn't interested. I'm all for individual expression and creative combinations, but today she looks like PeeWee Herman's child!
Sometimes I feel I'm in the twilight zone because I can't believe the emotional energy expended on battles over silly things. I think it's more about a battle of the wills instead of the issue itself. Do you fight these silly battles with your children, or do you just let things go?
What are some of the battles you've fought over silly things?

Hmmm we usually nip the battles by offering a choice of two things to wear, if she disagrees with both of those, she's being naughty and gets to sit on the step! she's learnt to choose one of two!! (mummy 1, dd o )

Yes frizbe, we used to do that too. Have gotten out of the habit, as dd spent the summer in little dresses so there was no discussion about what matched with what. She chose what she wanted to wear most days, and it was no problem. Since then, it's been school uniform time, so no discussion needed there.

But, now that temps are getting colder, her "out of school" wear involves a bit more coordination. I think I shall have to follow your example, and re-introduce the limited choice strategy. It occurred to me this morning, as we wrestled over tops to go with her patterned skirt, that I may have a daughter with no fashion sense!

oh man, Earlybird, I wouldn't know where to start with listing all the silly battles.

A sample, just from today:
4yo DD: we have 2 back doors. One door was locked, as we were preparing to go out to an indoor play centre (takes ages to get everything ready with all 3 kids). DD suddenly stands by the locked back door, insisting that she must enter the house to get something by that door & that door alone; she will not walk 15 feet to enter by the other door. Thru gritted teeth I ask my 5yo DS to run in the open door & unlock the locked door for her, or else I'm gonna strangle her....

5yo DS: coming home from play centre, he sees some toys in a window he'd like. I remind him that I'm telling his friends' mums to buy him those kinds of toys for his birthday next week. But DS insists that he must enter the shop there & thento tell the shopkeepers... major row looms on the horizon as it's late & I have a killer headache. I resort to dozens of threats to get him away from the window.

16m old DS: insists on feeding himself, lately, makes a right mess about it, too!!

Only think I can think to help is a book I read about DDs dressing themselves is to get them a badge made saying "Dressed all by myself"!!!

My DS is just as bad!!!

I've started letting ds1 choose his own clothes everyday. If he wants to look silly that's his choice.

A few weeks ago we had an hour of fighting before playschool, hysterical tears etc and it was all because he didn't want to wear the shirt I'd picked out (apparently he has a few favourites that I was unaware of)....