A few days after my last Euclid post we were watching "Sesame Street" and Telly, one of the puppets, was waxing rhapsodic about triangles. The British guy who sings that (annoying) song "You're Beautiful (it's true)" was on and he sang the song as an ode to The Triangle. It was all very silly, but the segment ended with Telly proclaiming: "Show me a Euclidean love story and I'll show you a happy ending." I have my finger on the pulse of toddler culture, obviously. There is a love triangle at our house these days and it involves Harper, Hudson, and whatever Hudson is playing with. It does NOT end happily. Here is how it goes. Hudson will be playing with, for example, a piece of the fruit puzzle. I will say, "Do you have a kiwi Hudson?" and Harper, who was busily feeding her puppy Joshua a picnic lunch in a different room will shout, "I want the kiwi!" and she will come running and try to take it from Hudson. This scenario repeated itself around 68 times yesterday, even, at one point, when Hudson was playing with a tiny piece of carpet fuzz. And each time it ended thus: me: Harper, you may not have the [piece of carpet fuzz]. Hudson is playing with it right now.
Harper: But I don't have ANYTHING to play with.
me: Hm, that sounds like whining. You need to go sit in your room please, until Mommy tells you to get up.
Harper: (wailing, but sitting with her hands folded in her lap) That makes me SAD! YOU make me SAD!!!
me: (turning away to maintain composure) And it makes me sad when you disobey.
I have a smiling/laughing problem when I have to deal with confrontation. It's extremely awkward. I try to think about very sad things. It does not work. Sometimes because it really is funny (as in the case of a melodramatic two year old) and sometimes because I am uncomfortable. It is highly inappropriate. I don't know how to fix it. I'm open to suggestions. I'm also open to suggestions of ways to help Harper invite Hudson into her play instead of wishing him desolate and toyless.
2 comments:
This is a tough subject b/c appropriate discipline is always something that seems to have to be adjusted. I'm to ensure E doesn't always exclude Sarah from play b/c Sarah's interested in EVERYTHING E does. And soon I'll have to start disciplining Sarah. How will I do this? I have no idea b/c having two is so very much different than one.
As for inappropriate laughter, etc., can't help ya. I do it, too. But I find I keep my cool a little better when I'm laughing.
It's so true! Our little triangle is always shifting and forming allegances. Sometimes, I swear I must reinforce sharing and taking turns a million times, and I feel like they're destined to be hoarding, self-centered people. But, then it happens, I get a little peak of one giving, serving, putting the other in front -- I guess in the process we keep on, hoping those glimmers of Christ in them will one day reign. And certainly, we must laugh! It's our parental salvation.
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