A parenting boomerang

When I was eleven and attitude-y, I often found myself fighting with my mom. One day as she was driving me to school (thanks, Mom!) we were engaged in yet another power struggle. She turned to me in exasperation and said, "Katie, why don't we try this-- you be the kid and I'LL be the mom." I turned to her, narrowed my eyes, and snapped back, "We already tried that and it didn't work."

You know how they say what goes around comes around? This happened in our home yesterday:

Coralie: Mom, don't sit in that chair. My toys were in that chair.
Me: Well, Coralie, I need to sit here because I am holding Madeline and this is what works best for me.
Coralie: But my toys go there. You need to sit somewhere else!
Me: Coralie, you do not tell me what to do. If I want to sit here, I will sit here.
Coralie: Mom, you just need to move.
Me: Coralie, do not tell me what to do. I am the mom, you are the child. I don't have to obey you.
Coralie: Then I want to be the grandma and then you will have to obey me.

Not only is she smarter than I was in that she circumvented the hierarchy problem, but she gave me this attitude an entire EIGHT YEARS before I gave it to my mom.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: heaven help me.

PS-- Happy Labor Day!
PPS-- Sorry the comments feature seems to be wonky. I have no idea what to do to enable all of you to comment, as the extent of my troubleshooting capabilities is clicking a bunch of stuff. So I don't think I fixed anything, but I sure tried!