Misbehavin' Elmo

You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Dancing Elmo has a mean streak. (Maybe as a result of my wanting him not to dance quite so much, preferring him to sit quietly?)

No less than twice this week, Helena has had to console one of her dolls, telling me the doll was mad because Elmo hit her. Helena scolded Elmo, "Non, c'est non," and carried him (kicking and screaming?) under her arm out of her bedroom to sit in the hall.

She checks on him a few minutes later, asks if he's better, and then invites him back into her room.

(We've never formalized a "time-out" method in this household — certainly there's no "Go stand in the corner" or "I want you to sit here and think about what you've done." If Helena's being particularly ornery, we may walk away for a minute till she calms down. I can only imagine she's mimicking a rare disciplinary measure in force at her daycare.)

Elmo may be annoying, but toddlers are weird.