For me, the ages between 18 months and 2 were about keeping my daughter safe from herself. She had this new found independence and skills. She could walk, her language was emerging, she was becoming a unique individual. But what she didn't have was common sense. She didn't know that she couldn't walk off the couch and not get hurt or jump up and down in the bath tub and not suffer any consequences. That's what I was there for- to watch her every move and make sure she didn't end up in the emergency room for stitches.
As she's grown, the need for me to watch her every move is no longer necessary. She's got a certain amount of "street smarts." She's comprehending actions and consequences. She's building a catalog of common sense. This is a relief. It's exhausting to watch someone every moment of their life to make sure they're safe. I can let her play alone in her bedroom while I'm downstairs without worrying that she's going to chug toilet bowl cleaner or fall down the stairs. That's not to say I don't leave myself open to other mishaps, just look at the picture to the right- I wasn't sitting next to her saying, sure, give yourself a unibrow with that pink lipstick- but these are the chances I'm willing to take to have 10 minutes without the burden of being responsible for someone.
What I have found is that the terrible 2's have nothing on 3. If 2 is about keeping them safe from themselves, then 3 is about keeping them safe from me. Because while she's learning how to remain safe in her world, she's also learning how to drive me nuts in mine. I don't know what 4 will bring, perhaps she won't want to push me to the edge of madness everyday just for fun, but I figure there have got to be some good years in between her becoming a teenager and now. That could start at 4... sure, why not.
1 comment:
4 is way easier, and I agree, the 2's have nothing on the 3's! But like everything in raising a child, it's fleeting.. this too will pass (not to sound too corny) But your little miss will get through wanting to torture you, as long as you don't let her know it's working! Remember the nightmare of E, and how annoying he could be (not that he still can't be) But he's outgrown most of his urges to want to drive me insane..
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