We're very lucky.
Jack is the sort of child
we all assume we'll have
when we decide to have children,
and the sort of child
less experienced parents
congratulate themselves for.January and February 2004
March and April 2004
May and June 2004
July and August 2004
September and October 2004
November and December 2004
Blogs we read:
Monday, Dec. 06, 2004 - Mamma
Why?
Ahhh, it's started...
The wonderful days of "Why...?"
Oh, it can drive you mad, if you don't understand. For a while there, almost every statement, request, or comment you make to a small child will be met with "Why?"
If you think you need to have answer -- only to be met with another "Why?", well, it won't be long before you run out of answers and get irritable.
And if you think of it as a challenge when your instructions and requests are met with "Why?", assuming that the child is demanding that you justify your request, well, it's going to make you hopping mad!
But once you understand what's really happening, it is so sweet, so heart-touching, that you can't help but be enchanted.
(Well, ok. Enchanted is definitely going a little overboard. But it is, at least, a lot less irritating.)
So, you ask, what is it that you think is "really" happening? If it's not a power-ploy, is our little darling trying to expand his understanding of the way the world works?
Well, no, not quite. Not at 18 (almost 19) months. That comes later, at around 2 and a half or three. (Maybe earlier -- I keep being startled at how young they make these milestones...)
At almost 19 months, "Why" is mainly a new phoneme that Jack finds easy to say. But, as all children do, he has learned that it's a phoneme that gets an interesting reaction. Usually his adults will say something to him when he asks "Why". And so, Jack asks why to make contact, to carry his half of a "grownup" conversation, to invite us to participate in the social ritual of chatting.
He's especially likely to say it when he realizes that a response is called for, but isn't sure what the correct respons is.
Knowing that, I try, when I can, to get down on his level, look him in the eye, and converse with him, and listen to what else he says. (Can't always do that ... but it does seem to be what he wants.)
This insight also suggests some useful answers...sometimes I ask him why he thinks that is. Sometimes, I suggest a more "appropriate" response to what I've said.
(For instance, "When I tell you you're beautiful, you can say 'thank you, Mamma.'"
Granted, at this point, those more useful responses to his whys are more for my practice than because they make any difference to him -- but this means that in a few months, when he starts to use "Why" more intentionally, I will be ready.
But really, isn't it enchanting to have such a sweet little fellow trying to engage you in conversation?
But I'm not sleepy!
Jack, poor boy, has been having some trouble sleeping lately. Or rather, he's had some trouble regulating his sleep schedule.
He gets soo tired that he ends up falling asleep early, and then needing a second nap in the late afternoon -- and then not being tired at bedtime.
And that means that when the whole family is hunkered down for the night, Jack is left sitting in the dark complaining bitterly. He wants to go "out dere" to the parlour to play.
On the weekends, I often get up with him and play with him for another hour or two, but during the week (and especially when I'm sick, too) I just can't!
It's so sad to hear him whimpering and flopping around, trying to sleep. But much like an older child, he keeps coming up with excuses. He points to his nose -- "Yuuuuchhh" he says. "Your nose is bothering you?" Mamma sympathizes. He agrees, so I kiss his nose and then I say good night.
"Hot!" Jack complains. "You're too hot undser the blankets?" Mamma asks, surprised, since it's below freezing outside, and the window is open, as usual. "Hot" He agrees, so I uncover him and then lay a much lighter recieving blanket over him.
Then he flops around a few more times, whimpering, and then sits up and says "Out".
Eventually, Dad takes pity on Mamma and takes Jack out of the room. Ah, but Dad isn't Mamma, and when Dad gets up with him at night, there are no toys or books involved -- meaning that the last sounds I hear, as I drift off to sleep, are a plaintive "Nononono. Mamamama!"
That makes three times in the last seven nights. Rod must be exhausted.
I suppose I ought to get more strict about not entertaining Jack when he refuses to sleep. All three of us might get more sleep -- but this week aside, we don't usually have a problem. Jack is usually very good about going right to sleep and staying that way. I think it is a matter of being so tired from the cold that he takes extra naps and then isn't tired at bedtime.
Maybe. I'll reconsider if he doesn't go back to sleeping as he recovers, which should be any minute now.
Appropos of nothing
Jack loves to see his Dad and I cuddling. Every time he comes upon us in an embrace or kissing, he laughs aloud and claps his hands. He thinks it's hilarious.
I'm not sure why that is, but it's very funny.
Holiday schedule
This is my last week at work for this year.
I will try to post every day this week, but I can't promise much for the interveing time until I return to work on the third of January.
Metablogging I am so excited! we've just been "googled" for the first time!
That means someone typed a phrade into the Google search engine (in this case "Cutting baby hair") and then Jack's blog came up, and they clicked on the link!
Yes, small things often excite me. Why do you ask?
