Table talk

So the other night, we were having dinner and Miss S got off her seat for a few seconds. Might not seem like a big deal but I've told her several times to stay in her chair unless she asks for (and receives) permission to get up. I'm trying to develop self-control with her. Plus, I figure if we have company over or if we ARE the company, she needs to sit down for the meal and then get up to play.

So after several warnings, I finally told her that the next time she did it, she wasn't going to get a warning; instead she'd get 10 minutes in her room. Didn't take long. She took one leg off her chair and stood on her foot. I just looked at her and waited for her to make eye contact with me. As soon as she did, I just pointed to her room. Her jaw dropped and she slumped over. Busted...

She went and did her time and then came back out to finish her dinner. When we got done, Denielle and I decided to go do some work in the front yard. She made one more mistake she normally never makes and we had a tense conversation about it. I knew something was up so I just asked her to sit down for a second. I asked her how she was feeling. She said she was upset. I said "OK, that's a good start. Tell me why." She said she felt like she was always messing up. "OK, good. Why do you feel that way? How are you always messing up?"
At this point I got off my chair, picked her up, sat down in her chair, and put her on my lap.
"I feel like I'm always getting in trouble for little things."
"Like what?"
"Like sitting in the chair."
"Well, can you tell me what the rule is for the chair?"
"Yeah, I'm supposed to stay in it unless I ask you guys for permission."
"Right. So why did you get in trouble tonight?"
"Because I got out."
"Right. Why did you get out?"
"Because it's hard for me to reach my food. I can't reach it very good."
"OK, that's great. Would a booster seat help you?"
"Yeah...."
"OK, perfect. Tomorrow I'll get you a booster seat so you can reach your food."
"......"
"How does that sound?"
"Goooood."
That may not sound like much, but it was a huge progression for her. She's very uncomfortable talking about her feelings. I'm not sure she's ever done it, let alone in a conversation where her thoughts and feelings were appreciated and respected.
Afterwards, I gave her a hug and asked her "Who's my Miss S?" She got a big smile (through her tears) and said "I am." I told her she was right and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

That felt pretty good.