My 3 1/2 year old daughter had given me one of her beloved stuffed animals yesterday to comfort me and give me company in my room while I have been feeling less than optimal--one of her stuffed 'Tiggers'.
Three year olds can change their little minds quite often and last night was a testament to this. In the middle of the night my little girl got up to go to the bathroom. She decided at 3:45am on her way back to her bedroom that she wanted her little stuffed Tigger back from me. The 'loan' was apparently up, although we had not discussed the terms at the outset or I would have released him back into her custody when she laid down to go to bed. Fortunately, I had thought that she might try to come into my room in the early morning, which she does quite often, so on this morning when I had not been feeling my optimum I locked the door before I laid down for sleep. I wouldn't mind giving the Tigger back at the right time, but giving in in the middle of the night, when your child has 65-odd other loving stuffed animals and miniature people is no way to show them the proper etiquette of human relations. Fortunately, her mother was handling the situation and was explaining to Shayla how we proceed and think about such situations in our minds when we have feelings of this kind. It all worked out fine though. Once she realized that having Tigger back was not going to happen at 4 in the morning, she eventually settled for another companion,.....thankfully.
Three year olds can change their little minds quite often and last night was a testament to this. In the middle of the night my little girl got up to go to the bathroom. She decided at 3:45am on her way back to her bedroom that she wanted her little stuffed Tigger back from me. The 'loan' was apparently up, although we had not discussed the terms at the outset or I would have released him back into her custody when she laid down to go to bed. Fortunately, I had thought that she might try to come into my room in the early morning, which she does quite often, so on this morning when I had not been feeling my optimum I locked the door before I laid down for sleep. I wouldn't mind giving the Tigger back at the right time, but giving in in the middle of the night, when your child has 65-odd other loving stuffed animals and miniature people is no way to show them the proper etiquette of human relations. Fortunately, her mother was handling the situation and was explaining to Shayla how we proceed and think about such situations in our minds when we have feelings of this kind. It all worked out fine though. Once she realized that having Tigger back was not going to happen at 4 in the morning, she eventually settled for another companion,.....thankfully.