I was sitting in the living room chatting to my mum last week while Imogen was having her post pre-school crazy half hour.

Immy sidles up to my mum who attempts to give her a hug. ‘Go away I don’t want you,’ is the – rather un-Immy like – reply.

I’d like to say right now that my daughter is usually the essence of politeness. She’s good at saying please and thank you.  She always asks rather than just takes and is remarkably well behaved while out in public.

I mouthed ‘sorry’ at my mum. Who looked at me sympathetically, and rather worryingly with her ‘knowing’ look – one she doesn’t use except in very serious situations.

‘I think,’ she said pausing for dramatic effect (my mother helps run our local drama club)

She continued… ”that the E.A.S.Y days are O.V.E.R’

Her comments didn’t come as much of a surprise. Only a day earlier a mummy acquaintance of mine was telling me how her 3 and a half year old has become ‘a little madam’.

‘We were out yesterday, just the two of us, and she ran ahead of me. I slipped up running after her, only for her to turn round and say ‘mummy you hurt me’.’

It’s inevitable, not the bad behaviour, but the inevitable falling out of wonder with mummy and daddy. Immy had to find her feet at some point, and she’s realised that to some extent she is a seperate person from her parents, with things that she can do without her parents.

‘I’m not a baby mummy,’ ‘that’s for babies mummy’ ‘mummy don’t laugh at me’. These are just a few of her latest sayings. Of course she wasn’t going to be an angel forever but she’s going to require a bit more guidance from me, while she finds her feet.

I just hope I’m up to the task. The wonderful journey of parenthood reaches another milestone and another challenge.