daddyville

The stories that we tell our kids in an effort to satisfy their insatiable questioning of reality and circumstance are really quite laughable when you think about it. There is a need for a heavy dose of artistic liscense when relating with a curious, ever questioning 2-3 year old. Like it or not storytelling becomes a very necessary tool when answering the billion plus questions per day.

Let me explain a little of what this is like for those that are scratching their heads or to whom it has been so long that you don't remember of what I speak. Some of these questions come out of outer space for all I can tell having not much relevance to their place and time when asked. Others are like the one below, but still require the skill of extemporaneous fiction if you're to get off with little residual fuss. Here's an accurate depiction:  You are sitting rocking your over active child, lulling them into a place where it might be possible for he/she to take that nap that you know they need and without which your hair will be turning every shade of gray by early evening.

"Aahh,... Dada", she says?
"Yeah".
"What's Elmo doing?"
"You mean right now?"
"Yeah", she says.
"He's tired. He's laying down. He told me that he was ready for his nap so that he can have a lot of energy to play later on after you get up."
"Ooh, I see", she says.
"Aahh.....Dada"?
"Yes".
"Why isn't he in here with me right now", she questions?
(You're too tired to get up and go Elmo hunting right now and besides, you've already got your Presciousness In the rocker With her blanket almost ready to lay down so you say...)
"He told me that he wants to give you the space to have a Real Good nap so that you two can have fun together later. Besides, he said that he doesn't mind taking his nap on the couch just so that he doesn't wind up talking to you and keeping you awake. He's real considerate like that. Elmo's a good friend."
"Ohhh yeaahh", she says.
Good. She bought it, I think to myself. Hey I'm getting pretty good at this. I just know that if I had told her that I was too tired to get up and go find Elmo, and would she please just be OK with seeing him a little later that that could've opened up the door to some fussiness that I am just more that willing to sidestep.
That just a little sampling of the creative fiction that is pretty much non-stop in our house. I'm just glad to be able to tell stories like that while I can. I know there will come a day when that will no longer satisfy, and then the story line will change and adapt as needed. Hopefully I'll be up to the task. I think I shall.