I find it helps to think through what I'm saying and what the possible outcomes are if I just stay quiet.<br><br>
For example with the water bottle, what would be the worst possible outcome of her not taking it? She might be very thirsty, which might help her remember it next time, which would end up being a good thing for her in the long run.<br><br>
Other things, like bangs in eyes and brushing hair fall into a different catagory -- she might look messy, which would....???? make me look like a bad mother? If you were ever a fan of the TV show Friends, I find it helpful to think of Monica's mothers and how it was a running joke that that she was still saying these kinds of things to her daughter, even though her daughter was grown. I don't want to sound like Monica's mother, which has helped me make peace with my DDs' having different ideas of what their hair should look like before they leave the house.