Oh and the other thing is, she's beautiful and charming. She will win you over with her cherubic smile before throwing sand in your face and running off with a giggle. It's a tough gig to parent this one. Living with a threenager comes with its challenges.
But I'm wondering...is it at all possible to shine a positive light on the threenager? Maybe find some good qualities? I wonder if the threenager can offer us adults anything, besides the need for a Panadol?
I've thought about it. To be honest, I've had to think really long and hard about it. It hurt my head a bit. But I've managed to come up with a list of lessons we could learn from the threenager.
1. Wear fabulous clothes. For any occasion. In Miss P's
case, this means over the top, flouncy, bright dresses. Sometimes with wings,
sometimes with a tiara. Sometimes with costume jewellery. No matter the
occasion, Miss P always goes to a special effort. She will also request a wardrobe
change at least 4 times a day. Sometimes this is because a drop of water has
landed on her dress. Other times, there's no explicit reason. She will just
start stripping off and ask you to get her another outfit. NOW. I must admit,
the idea of wearing beautiful things at all times is very appealing. Maybe it's time to look at the 'special occasions' section of my wardrobe. Let me
tell you, if they made some of Miss P's dresses in adult sizes that cost a maximum
of $35, I would be ONBOARD.
2. Don't accept no for an answer. Miss P will battle with
you for a yes to her requests. Even if you say no and offer a very reasonable
and patient explanation, she will wait until you finish and then simply repeat
her question. This could go on for half an hour. It often brings me to my knees. I try to dress it up as a compromise, so that it
looks like things are on my terms. But they're not. I'm just giving in for the sake
of peace. So, the lesson here is, don't give up if you get a no. Keep asking and never lose your focus.
Persistence pays off. Do not let someone try to fob you off with a long-winded
excuse. You can break them.
3. Express your feelings. Miss P will let you, and the rest
of the street know if she is unhappy, hungry or wants to use the iPad. Her
wails are so loud and overwhelming that our entire household will just stopping
making their own noise until she is finished. The lesson here - if you're
unhappy, do as Miss P does and let everyone know. Don't bottle things up. At the very least, you could end up with a cuddle and a biscuit.
4. Sing like no one is listening. Singing
is great for the soul. There's even a Carpenters' song about it. Miss P is
really getting into her element with this one. What astounds me the most is
that she doesn't even know all the words to these songs. I think she knows
about two lines of 'Let It Go', but her version will go on for about ten minutes. She will sing her little heart out for anyone who's
listening. I am all for this. Who hasn't rocked out in their car to really
loud, really tragic songs? Feels brilliant, right?
5. Make your voice heard. Miss P isn't just loud when she
cries, she is generally a very loud little person. Why simply speak when you
can shout? At least this way people will hear you the first time. I suppose Miss P struggles to be heard in our busy house. This is how she's learnt to communicate. The lesson
here is, don't assume that people aren't interested, they just need to HEAR
you. So speak up. Make people listen.
6. Be convincing. Miss P will melt the angriest of hearts. So, if you find yourself in a spot of bother, try smiling disarmingly and quickly follow this up with a sincere-sounding 'sorry'. Make your eyes very big at this point. Maybe go in for a cuddle too. They'll be putty in your hands.
6. Be convincing. Miss P will melt the angriest of hearts. So, if you find yourself in a spot of bother, try smiling disarmingly and quickly follow this up with a sincere-sounding 'sorry'. Make your eyes very big at this point. Maybe go in for a cuddle too. They'll be putty in your hands.
7. Be discerning with your friends. Miss P is very clear about who her best friend is and the importance of interactions with said best friend. Anyone who is not best friend material or is at risk of having the best friend title revoked is informed by her in no uncertain terms. In adult terms, this means look after your close friends. Don't waste time on toxic or unhelpful friendships. Value your relationships with others.
8. Know your limits. After a long day, Miss P will let us know she is ready for bed by refusing to eat her dinner and leaving the table to roll around on the floor every time we turn our backs. Eventually it clicks: this kid is tired. Game over. She doesn't even protest when we lead her upstairs for a bath. The lesson here is, know when you've reached your limits. There's no point pushing yourself when your body needs to recharge. Take a break.
8. Know your limits. After a long day, Miss P will let us know she is ready for bed by refusing to eat her dinner and leaving the table to roll around on the floor every time we turn our backs. Eventually it clicks: this kid is tired. Game over. She doesn't even protest when we lead her upstairs for a bath. The lesson here is, know when you've reached your limits. There's no point pushing yourself when your body needs to recharge. Take a break.
So there you go. Who knew a threenager could be so wise? I wonder what other nuggets of wisdom she has in store for me.
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