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It's a tough job that parents of toddlers are saddled with in keeping midday naps a part of the routine schedule when the child is particularly headstrong and sleep resistant; it's a special kind of 'taco' that can make the follow through and the digestion of a little rough on the resident parents.
It's hard to hear the child cry, wail and go on and on about how they don't want to take a nap, they're not really tired, etcetera, etcetera. It's not those statements that are hard though. It's the wailing, as if in some sort of real pain, that is the really heart renching part. As a good parent, you try to stay really keen to the energy behind the crying though, because at this age (3-4yrs.) they still can't thoroughly express themselves with words all that well so you are vigilant not to get caught on the side of 'negligence' when it comes to attending to your child. You know though, that if you let them play you at this age, that it will NEVER STOP.
This service of diligent and consistent expectations and responses is your gift to your child so that their person may benefit from it as they grow and develop into the human being they will become. Even though this is Our Drive as parents and as commendable as it is, it still doesn't make it any easier to withstand the cries of the bruised ego and hurt feelings of your beloved child.
"Don't kid yourself, parenting is not for the faint of Heart." --myself
These two cousins just love playing together: Shayla, our daughter and her cousin Garrett. These two are within a year of each other's age.
The most pressing need, I have found, for an adult taking care of a group of 2 or more 3-5 year olds is that you must keep them from accidentally (or occasionally on purpose) injuring each other. In our case we have 2 boys and one girl playing together over the Christmas Holiday. Yesterday, one of the cousins went home so now we just have our daughter (almost 4) and one of her male cousins (almost 5). There's something to be said for the differences in the way little boys and little girls play. This really comes out in the way that these playing styles intermingle with each other. Our little girl seems overly sensitive to implied insult while the little boy didn't even know that an insult was in the works. It's funny and so classic as an archetype of our adult relationships.
What's so amazing to me though is their inherent drive of curiosity to engage in activities in a way that is just.....well, dangerous. Why? They can't help it but pick up that rock and throw it! If there's a stick around they'll find it, and they can't help but make contact with the other person with that stick! I sound like a broken record: "Put that stick down; it's dangerous. Would you want her to throw that rock at you?? Will you please not fling the dirt at each other's faces with that plastic rake!? Will you please not dance on the AC unit? While you're at it get off of there; it's dangerous! No, dog poop is not fascinating, it's yucky! Don't even think about it!" and on and on and on I go while having to watch them fairly close. It's hard work because they're always on the move. It's still fun though, still fun.
It can be hard to get at the root of a disagreement or episode between these little people if you didn't see how it began! Even at this age they are well equipped to tell elaborate stories that are in their favor and weave complex arguments of the 'he said, she said' variety. Wait! Stop! Am I in a court room?? No. Am I getting paid for this? Heck no. I can see where parents are tempted to make those ridiculous sounding rules of sweeping magnitude that do not fit 'the crime' or are reasonable or do-able like "Nobody Ever Touch Anybody in This House Ever Again!" as a frustrated fix for some issue of 'personal space violation'! Sound funny? Well it is until You're There.
Kids. They're Amazingly Adept.......at making you sound like your parents! Hehe. It's True!
Daddy Sean Over and Out,
Happy Holidays Everyone! :-)
