I'm not sure what the actual reason for turning out a good or rotten 'apple' might be, but winging it with no scientific data under the ol' belt buckle as it were I would have to wager that it's a combination. We have far too many examples of families that contain both within their history books to say with any certainty that it is really one or the other.
A friend of mine said tonight that I must be a good parent because my 2 1/2+ year old daughter is such a pleasant and well behaved (?) child. In all honesty that may not really be my doing. It's not that I see myself as a really bad parent. It's just that in my experience parenting unerringly shows me quite unabashedly where I can improve as a human being and as a role model, so help me God. I have not yet in my meager 42 years experienced ANYTHING as personally revelatory as Parenting another Human Being.
All humans, like all things born, come in as children, but who knows what kind of being you have been chosen to be the parent of. Your child could be a Ghandi or a Mullah or a High Priest of some Esoteric Order or a future Grass Roots Politician who will change the Face of the Earth or who will develop the next Superior Technology or Energy Source? Who knows? Perhaps this Being has come to Parent You
A friend of mine said tonight that I must be a good parent because my 2 1/2+ year old daughter is such a pleasant and well behaved (?) child. In all honesty that may not really be my doing. It's not that I see myself as a really bad parent. It's just that in my experience parenting unerringly shows me quite unabashedly where I can improve as a human being and as a role model, so help me God. I have not yet in my meager 42 years experienced ANYTHING as personally revelatory as Parenting another Human Being.
All humans, like all things born, come in as children, but who knows what kind of being you have been chosen to be the parent of. Your child could be a Ghandi or a Mullah or a High Priest of some Esoteric Order or a future Grass Roots Politician who will change the Face of the Earth or who will develop the next Superior Technology or Energy Source? Who knows? Perhaps this Being has come to Parent You
The process of linguistic development in my toddler has an interesting trajectorial learning curve. There are 'hills' and 'troughs' within this process, as expected, however living within the circumstantial snafus of communication between my daughter and I has quite a different twist to it. Some words she says with pristine clarity while others are still under construction, as is natural. I thought for a while that I was understanding most of what she said fairly well. I think I still do, but some of her sentences have taken on a rushed, slurred quality that I did not notice before. No doubt this is a stepping stone to more pronounced clarity within sentences.
I know it would be supremely frustrating if I were not able to be understood by my friends and nieghbors on a daily basis. For the most part Shayla and I do just fine. When her mom is at home we help each other out on the occasional words that the other may miss which is very helpful. Every once in a while I give up and just go, "Un huh" to something I am not quite clear about. Mostly I explain to her that I do not understand and we figure it out until we seem to understand each other. It's an interesting process.
Today we encountered an especially frustrating moment at nap time. I was laying her down and she was trying to tell me something about her preferred blanket arrangement for her nap. I wasn't quite getting it. I asked her several times to explain it again which she did in the same exact slurred sentence. I did my best, but I know that I didn't get it right. I explained that to her and she accepted it, but was still frustrated.
All of this leads me to wonder what percentage of the time do parents precisely understand the communication that their toddler is imparting? Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.
I know it would be supremely frustrating if I were not able to be understood by my friends and nieghbors on a daily basis. For the most part Shayla and I do just fine. When her mom is at home we help each other out on the occasional words that the other may miss which is very helpful. Every once in a while I give up and just go, "Un huh" to something I am not quite clear about. Mostly I explain to her that I do not understand and we figure it out until we seem to understand each other. It's an interesting process.
Today we encountered an especially frustrating moment at nap time. I was laying her down and she was trying to tell me something about her preferred blanket arrangement for her nap. I wasn't quite getting it. I asked her several times to explain it again which she did in the same exact slurred sentence. I did my best, but I know that I didn't get it right. I explained that to her and she accepted it, but was still frustrated.
All of this leads me to wonder what percentage of the time do parents precisely understand the communication that their toddler is imparting? Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.
I thought these were cute. I really see
her mom and me in the last one.
her mom and me in the last one.
Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.
Today was Shayla's first trip to a vet. It was a sad reason to be there as our family cat Munchkin was a bit under the weather, but it was a lot of fun for Shayla and anything less than boring for me.
We have no carrier for our cat, so I knew this was going to be an adventure as there was no choice but for this to be an assault on Munchkin's nerves, and nothing short of an adrenaline rush for Shayla. As it turned out, both proved to be true in flying colors.
So as we enter the vet's office I have Munchkin in my arms and Shayla in tow with childcare acoutrements strapped to my back and in the crooks of my elbows. My hands are already full with my furry pet and my fingers performing their eye shielding function as none of us know of the reality of the situation behind the front door as I prefer to come out of this unscathed by claw or tooth. Fortunately for us there was only one very friendly puppy in the waiting area. So we introduced ourselves and quickly got to know this doggie and her owner. Munchkin turned out to pretty docile with this dog, but that of course did not stop the dog from wanting to get to know all of us. Cats and dogs are so funny with their polarly opposite MOs. So funny. I stand back and see the personalities of the characters in the 'Odd Couple' kind of mirrored with cats and dogs in general.
After we check in and sit down one by one as other dogs and their owners come in Shayla promptly goes up to each owner and asks if she can hole their dogs leash. All the owners were very kind and lovingly indulge Shayla. Several times while these dogs were being wieghed in I had to retrieve Shayla from the animal scale as she's standing there next to the pet holding the leash as if it's for somekind of photo opp. Those animal scales are on the floor and very long so there was plenty of room for the pet and her. Of course she doesn't know what's going on, only that she wants to accompany the animal around the office and waiting room until the animal and owner are called to an examination room. These dogs were all sizes too. There were little Poodles as well as Golden Retrievers. It was funny because at one point Shayla wanted to hold the leash of this one Golden Retriever, and the owner looked with concern toward me and said to Shayla, "I'm concerned that she might pull you around or fall on you". I said, "It's alright" so she let her. It turned out okay and it was a blast for Shayla.
Munchkin only growled on a couple of occasions, poor thing. At one point there must have been about five dogs there in this little waiting room. A few were going in and a few were going out. There was only one other cat and that owner had it in a carrier. This is definitely the preferred method.
Right before we were to be actually seen by the doc, Shayla looks at me and says, "Daddy, I'm poopy". I said come here and she got within a few feet of me and I said, "Yep, you sure are." So there are four adults and fours dogs in this 8 X 10 waiting space and if I can smell her, then everyone can, besides she just announced it. So she's walking around kind of funny for obvious reasons and I have a cat in my arms who would love to somewhere other than in the close companionship of four canines. So I walk up to the counter and tell the receptionist, "I have a little dilemma", but lucky for me they
have a carrier built into the underside of a little side counter. We put Munchkin in there affording her the crystal clear unhampered view of her four close cousins while Shayla and I go to change her diaper.
When we came back the doctor was already examining Munch and they brought us in the room. Shayla took this opportunity to practice her door opening and closing skills which she already is a pro at and could pass the exam, no problem. After this point, we were out in no time with the ruling that it was somekind of bacterial infection (She had a temperature) from a bite or clawing from another cat presumably two nights ago when we accidentally left her out all night)). She was given a shot and we were sent home with more anti-biotics that we are to administer for the next seven days.
Munchkin is returning to herself even as we speak. This makes us all very happy. While I don't wish this experience on any animal, Munchkin is now doing better and the Vet was a new experience for Shayla that she enjoyed because of all the interaction with the animals.
NOTE: There would've been more pictures with this post--I really wanted to take some--but my hands were full of fur and my mind with mitigation. :)
Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.
We have no carrier for our cat, so I knew this was going to be an adventure as there was no choice but for this to be an assault on Munchkin's nerves, and nothing short of an adrenaline rush for Shayla. As it turned out, both proved to be true in flying colors.
So as we enter the vet's office I have Munchkin in my arms and Shayla in tow with childcare acoutrements strapped to my back and in the crooks of my elbows. My hands are already full with my furry pet and my fingers performing their eye shielding function as none of us know of the reality of the situation behind the front door as I prefer to come out of this unscathed by claw or tooth. Fortunately for us there was only one very friendly puppy in the waiting area. So we introduced ourselves and quickly got to know this doggie and her owner. Munchkin turned out to pretty docile with this dog, but that of course did not stop the dog from wanting to get to know all of us. Cats and dogs are so funny with their polarly opposite MOs. So funny. I stand back and see the personalities of the characters in the 'Odd Couple' kind of mirrored with cats and dogs in general.
After we check in and sit down one by one as other dogs and their owners come in Shayla promptly goes up to each owner and asks if she can hole their dogs leash. All the owners were very kind and lovingly indulge Shayla. Several times while these dogs were being wieghed in I had to retrieve Shayla from the animal scale as she's standing there next to the pet holding the leash as if it's for somekind of photo opp. Those animal scales are on the floor and very long so there was plenty of room for the pet and her. Of course she doesn't know what's going on, only that she wants to accompany the animal around the office and waiting room until the animal and owner are called to an examination room. These dogs were all sizes too. There were little Poodles as well as Golden Retrievers. It was funny because at one point Shayla wanted to hold the leash of this one Golden Retriever, and the owner looked with concern toward me and said to Shayla, "I'm concerned that she might pull you around or fall on you". I said, "It's alright" so she let her. It turned out okay and it was a blast for Shayla.
Munchkin only growled on a couple of occasions, poor thing. At one point there must have been about five dogs there in this little waiting room. A few were going in and a few were going out. There was only one other cat and that owner had it in a carrier. This is definitely the preferred method.
Right before we were to be actually seen by the doc, Shayla looks at me and says, "Daddy, I'm poopy". I said come here and she got within a few feet of me and I said, "Yep, you sure are." So there are four adults and fours dogs in this 8 X 10 waiting space and if I can smell her, then everyone can, besides she just announced it. So she's walking around kind of funny for obvious reasons and I have a cat in my arms who would love to somewhere other than in the close companionship of four canines. So I walk up to the counter and tell the receptionist, "I have a little dilemma", but lucky for me they
have a carrier built into the underside of a little side counter. We put Munchkin in there affording her the crystal clear unhampered view of her four close cousins while Shayla and I go to change her diaper.
When we came back the doctor was already examining Munch and they brought us in the room. Shayla took this opportunity to practice her door opening and closing skills which she already is a pro at and could pass the exam, no problem. After this point, we were out in no time with the ruling that it was somekind of bacterial infection (She had a temperature) from a bite or clawing from another cat presumably two nights ago when we accidentally left her out all night)). She was given a shot and we were sent home with more anti-biotics that we are to administer for the next seven days.
Munchkin is returning to herself even as we speak. This makes us all very happy. While I don't wish this experience on any animal, Munchkin is now doing better and the Vet was a new experience for Shayla that she enjoyed because of all the interaction with the animals.
NOTE: There would've been more pictures with this post--I really wanted to take some--but my hands were full of fur and my mind with mitigation. :)
Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.