The cool thing about little kids is that each milestone, each new year they are doing something so new and so different! Things change so much and so fast. And with each blessed birthday comes new happy things - like writing letters and new challenges .... challenges which are of a whole new arena.
So in one week (to the day) experience of mothering a 4 year old I made some observations for surviving and even having successfully happy (mostly) days with my new teenager- I mean preschooler.
1. It is really a super big deal little sister got to pick her toothbrush color first out of the toothbrush two pack
Ok - I've always known choices are a big deal, especially related to siblings and especially related to who goes first etc. etc. But the level of emotional catharsis at age 4 is thus far unsurpassed. I never knew how offensive having to have the green toothbrush really is and how it can cause a 30 minute delay to a fun outing.....
2. Suddenly I live with a super sleuth
It's like that part of his brain where he can be sneaky just clicked. Except he's super obvious about it. Lord knows what it will be like when he's a teen and can actually sneak around and have a chance (maybe) to go undetected. Never before have I seen a little boy so excited to go into quiet time that he slams his door with anticipation to look quietly at books and perhaps rest on his bed... No odds are he took that off limits Amazon package from the front door step into his room; rock in his hand and plans to secretly discover the contents.
Refer to #1 for reaction to package being taken away and plans foiled.
3. Gift shops/Stores/Toys
Obsessive about getting "a little toy" for his sister, or me, or his daddy, all for him to play with us with. So cute.
4. Can go from heart breaker to making me a total puddle of mush
This all happened in the same day no joke.
"I'm done with you mommy. I'm finding a new mommy who is gooder than you."
I want to note it took all my self control and empathy to not correct his grammar in this comment.
"I won't forget you mommy like Dory forgot her parents. I will always remember you because I love you more than anything."
5. At the end of the day...
These emotional roller coasters, extreme anger/sadness, actually have been made better by just hugging and kissing him rather than disciplining him for his behavior. He kind of reminds me of myself when I was pregnant.
And I may or may not have gone through and entire pint of Ben and Jerry's and a pint of Gelato in the past week.But when you're pushing two kids in a single BOB with a flat tire after spending the day at the museums it doesn't matter because us moms figure it out - anything from getting two worn out kids to the car by ourselves to how to parent with each new step in child development. It's what we do.
So in one week (to the day) experience of mothering a 4 year old I made some observations for surviving and even having successfully happy (mostly) days with my new teenager- I mean preschooler.
1. It is really a super big deal little sister got to pick her toothbrush color first out of the toothbrush two pack
Ok - I've always known choices are a big deal, especially related to siblings and especially related to who goes first etc. etc. But the level of emotional catharsis at age 4 is thus far unsurpassed. I never knew how offensive having to have the green toothbrush really is and how it can cause a 30 minute delay to a fun outing.....
2. Suddenly I live with a super sleuth
It's like that part of his brain where he can be sneaky just clicked. Except he's super obvious about it. Lord knows what it will be like when he's a teen and can actually sneak around and have a chance (maybe) to go undetected. Never before have I seen a little boy so excited to go into quiet time that he slams his door with anticipation to look quietly at books and perhaps rest on his bed... No odds are he took that off limits Amazon package from the front door step into his room; rock in his hand and plans to secretly discover the contents.
Refer to #1 for reaction to package being taken away and plans foiled.
3. Gift shops/Stores/Toys
Obsessive about getting "a little toy" for his sister, or me, or his daddy, all for him to play with us with. So cute.
4. Can go from heart breaker to making me a total puddle of mush
This all happened in the same day no joke.
"I'm done with you mommy. I'm finding a new mommy who is gooder than you."
I want to note it took all my self control and empathy to not correct his grammar in this comment.
"I won't forget you mommy like Dory forgot her parents. I will always remember you because I love you more than anything."
5. At the end of the day...
These emotional roller coasters, extreme anger/sadness, actually have been made better by just hugging and kissing him rather than disciplining him for his behavior. He kind of reminds me of myself when I was pregnant.
And I may or may not have gone through and entire pint of Ben and Jerry's and a pint of Gelato in the past week.But when you're pushing two kids in a single BOB with a flat tire after spending the day at the museums it doesn't matter because us moms figure it out - anything from getting two worn out kids to the car by ourselves to how to parent with each new step in child development. It's what we do.
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