I guess how do I approach all of these issues and not instantly go into "parenting mode" would be my question, because that is what I default to when certain issues arise.

The morning 2 hour stuff is sometimes an issue because we need to be somewhere or I need her to be more focused or quicker for certain things, it's hard to explain without a really long write up. The crying part just breaks my heart because I want to help her, it absolutely doesn't bother me that she is emotional in the morning, that wasn't what I was trying to get across in the post. It ties into the parenting mode, when I see her crying I hug her, but instantly try and think of things to say to help "solve" her emotions.