Watching my toddler play, learn and grow is magical at times. Not all the time. I’ll spare you details of caring for a baby with a tummy bug, breastfeeding and night waking because they aren’t the things you think of when you call to mind your own child. Also because no one warned me about the less-than-cool stuff that goes along with parenting, so I’ll let you figure it out for yourself when the time comes (if you don’t have kids already.)
Back to the magic. Children have this amazing power to show you the truths and beauty of the human experience. You would think that these times involve an immaculately dressed child playing quietly and saying ‘I love you’. But most often the child has lunch or drool (or both) all over their shirt, surrounded by a pile of mess (usually something they aren’t supposed to play with) and being unreasonably loud for a lung set so small.
So I would like to pass on things my son has taught me and parts of myself I would like to recapture that I have seen in him. You get the benefits without the crap, good deal ha?
Close enough is good enough
He wants a hat. Because he takes after his father and because he is growing faster than a noxious weed, none of his hats fit. Although his young brain understands that I have no hat to give him, his insatiable need for a hat persists. So he settles for an array of substitutes and is just as happy;
- A saucepan (yes, really)
- A beanie. A white chunky knitted beanie of mine.
- An empty box
Routines are over-rated
I tried and failed miserably to ‘put’ Cooper into a routine. I don’t do futile, so when it became evident that I was trying to force a square peg through a round hole I would relent. Now I am not suggesting that structure is a bad thing, just that unnecessary and arbitrary structure is a bad thing. Cooper has taught me flow; to follow the path of least resistance and do what feels best. Eat when you’re hungry. Sleep when you’re tired. You are generally happiest (and most productive) when you ar in synch with your own rhythms. Miraculously he has started asking to sleep at 7.30pm because he is tired, not because he is trained to.
Laugh…. A lot
To a toddler everything is funny. I mean everything. Noises are funny, especially raspberries, farts & squeals, but also car alarms, the microwave and Daddy. Not vacuums though. They are scary. Other funny things include splashing, running, running into things, falling down, spinning around, spinning around until you fall down, music, dancing to music, singing to music, throwing, throwing food.
What is special is a toddler will laugh a millisecond after crying. They find the silver lining fast as lightning with humour.
It’s better out than in
What is better out than in? Everything? Toddlers have no issue with dribble, snot, poo, vomit, farts, burps, spitting up food that tastes disgusting, spitting out something they picked up off the floor. More than that children don’t bottle up emotions, they don’t hold grudges, they don’t bite their tongue.
I am not advocating for us to all spew bodily fluids and to turn off the filter that prevents us from voicing our less-than-appropriate thoughts. I’m just saying sometimes its worth questioning why you are keeping it in.
What have your children, nephews and nieces taught you?
