And so it begins. The exploration of self. Today I went to bathe my 3 year old daughter who had spent the morning colouring pretty much anything but the activity books I'd given her. Luckily having been there and scrubbed that, I now only let her have water soluble, non-toxic markers mostly for self-serving reasons but the plus side is she can chew away on the nibs, write on windows and wood - drywall being her special favorite. Evidently she's the Oakville Banksy (see pictures for the real thing). Give her paper? she gives you the cold shoulder as if to say, that's soooo 80s. Anyhow, I've stopped watching her every move when she's wielding a marker because life is cheap and toilet paper expensive.
So back to the earlier point. With the bath ready, I took her jim jams off and WOAH! she'd only painted a purple triangle on her front bottom - a perfect isosceles in fact. My immediate reaction was to laugh and I mean I lost it laughing mainly because it was the last thing I expected to see. I knew it had to be her own handy work because she'd made a mess of her belly button and her face looked like the crowd at a Grateful Dead concert. But I just wasn't expecting it. Once I calmed down I asked her why she'd done it? And she said....I want to be like mummy. Please note mine isn't purple - but you get the point.
There are a lot of things that parents and grown-ups generally have to be aware of when they are around young children because they really are like sponges. She now knows how to say SHUT UP YOU'RE ANNOYING ME...which she got from me (I think I've said that...oh a couple of time to her dad - though I'm sure I'm equally as annoying). Ive stopped using that language though I don't think there is anything wrong with showing irritation - it's just I try to be more polite about it. Every cloud. Besides, I'm only human.
No, this is proof positive that children develop certain traits at their own pace. She watches me do my hair and occasionally I'll put on the slap if I'm going out but so far she doesn't seem too interested in coquetry of that kind. I also play punk and rock and reggae - frankly whatever I'm in the mood for and often she'll just say 'too loud mummy' though I've noticed she's into The Rolling Stones. None of this is conscious on my part. I'd hate to have purposely contributed to the making of a manufactured personality. I much prefer to watch her develop her own little traits some of which I'm sure she'll pick up through nurture but ultimately I think nature wins through if you let it. This makes for interesting and hopefully confident and happy adults. In that sense, I'm like any other parent.
Still, I was hoping for a few more years before I had to broach the front bottom discussion but whatever - the purple triangle has broken the ice in a big way. The last thing I want is for her to think there is anything to be ashamed of down there...god knows puberty is painful enough.
So back to the earlier point. With the bath ready, I took her jim jams off and WOAH! she'd only painted a purple triangle on her front bottom - a perfect isosceles in fact. My immediate reaction was to laugh and I mean I lost it laughing mainly because it was the last thing I expected to see. I knew it had to be her own handy work because she'd made a mess of her belly button and her face looked like the crowd at a Grateful Dead concert. But I just wasn't expecting it. Once I calmed down I asked her why she'd done it? And she said....I want to be like mummy. Please note mine isn't purple - but you get the point.
There are a lot of things that parents and grown-ups generally have to be aware of when they are around young children because they really are like sponges. She now knows how to say SHUT UP YOU'RE ANNOYING ME...which she got from me (I think I've said that...oh a couple of time to her dad - though I'm sure I'm equally as annoying). Ive stopped using that language though I don't think there is anything wrong with showing irritation - it's just I try to be more polite about it. Every cloud. Besides, I'm only human.
No, this is proof positive that children develop certain traits at their own pace. She watches me do my hair and occasionally I'll put on the slap if I'm going out but so far she doesn't seem too interested in coquetry of that kind. I also play punk and rock and reggae - frankly whatever I'm in the mood for and often she'll just say 'too loud mummy' though I've noticed she's into The Rolling Stones. None of this is conscious on my part. I'd hate to have purposely contributed to the making of a manufactured personality. I much prefer to watch her develop her own little traits some of which I'm sure she'll pick up through nurture but ultimately I think nature wins through if you let it. This makes for interesting and hopefully confident and happy adults. In that sense, I'm like any other parent.
Still, I was hoping for a few more years before I had to broach the front bottom discussion but whatever - the purple triangle has broken the ice in a big way. The last thing I want is for her to think there is anything to be ashamed of down there...god knows puberty is painful enough.
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