I’m a Brat with a lowercase b

I love the playful energy that my dynamic has. I love that my Daddy hits me with things on purpose to bring out the brat in me. I am not always bratty, but there is always a sarcastic, playfully mean person underneath the surface. It takes certain behaviors to flip that switch. I can’t define that for you. Sometimes it is just a person. I have several friends who were never even relations of mine in any way, but I just have that bratty energy with them.

I sometimes feel bad when the mean-spirited side comes out. Being a brat doesn’t mean you have to be mean. And one of the most important lessons I have learned, you have to have a partner who wants that energy. You have to draw lines. You have to agree on what is acceptable and what is not.

Bratting can mean just being spoiled and playfully defiant. The word playful is important. Just because you are a bold, defiant person doesn’t mean you are a cute brat. You have to allow your partner to rise to the challenge and let them lead you.

They want the challenge, for the most part, and they want to win. Think about letting them on occasion.