Fewer things more precious than a toddler lifting the blanket and scurrying inside only to emerge after a few seconds to play peekaboo and topple over laughing.
My favourite baby love are the mornings. I am forever grateful to my husband for giving me the option to work from home. I enjoy that half hour more than a trip to an amusement park. I kid you not, it’s the best time of the day when a baby is moderately fed, well rested and ready to play. Sassi wakes up full of love, brimming with affectionate outbursts. Throwing her arms around my neck, hugs and kisses on the loop she is an absolute delight. The giggles warm the cockles if your heart.
It is important to preserve this love. It is important to preserve most things childish. If someone tries to throw an insult my way by saying you’re such a kid, they’re usually in for a huge disappointment. I love being like a kid. Kids are brave, unapologetic, honest and so pretty. Why would I not want to be anything like a kid?
Sassi and I play a lot. She also lets me work but we do play. So I earn those small spurts of all work. She’s a bright kid with a spring in her step. I try not to tell her what to do unless it can potentially hurt her. That makes sure she holds on to everything we need to cherish about childhood instead of doing away with it. They’re born an individual. When that umbilical cord is snipped that’s when they cease being a parasite and begin being their own person. We need to respect the process the way it is designed. We need to respect them. From the get go. Not later on in life. Not once they start walking or talking or speaking their mind. From the absolute beginning. Every time you reach out to touch them always ask for permission. They might not have anything to say except spit bubbles and random gurgling but it’ll give them the sovereignty and ownership over their own bodies and personal space. It makes them proud owners of their bodies and will perhaps make them value it, care for it and keep it safer. It’ll make them value their own personal space and respect that of others. Little things matter. They go a long way I feel.
We’ve had some trouble with keeping socks on but I plan on starting to wear some myself so she will want to follow suit.
With winters settling into the depths of my bones and the low, curses that surface under my breath, I need to get her accustomed to warm clothes. Hoodies are a complete hit. She acts like she is part of a failed replica of Metallica or something.
Parenting has come very very easy to me so far. I’m blessed with a lovely child but really, all kids have their demons and Sassi does too. Rather she turns into one herself if she doesn’t get her way through.
I’m as far from an expert as it gets but what my little time with her has taught me is, kids are like cats. The more you run after them proverbially or literally, they will Make you keep running around. Ignore them and they’ll tumble over to you themselves. That’s when you grab them, hold that other ( potentially slapping) arm down under your arm pit and sing along Sesame Street loudly to quickly cut those nails you’ve been eyeing for a few days. Or more frequently, just offer them a bite of food or a toy or whatever you want them to do without sounding too desperate for them to comply (they can smell angst) and they’ll do it.
I’d reserve their child-like wonder forever if I could. It is the only thing that keeps me happy at 36, so it can’t be that bad.
