Listen to Cat Uncaged
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010 | 
Posted by
Catrina
When you're three years old, the slightest thing seems to end the world. For example, my daughter has a princess crown, with tines on it that allow it to comb into her hair and secure the crown to her head, well, anyway one of the tips of the tines broke and a breakdown ensued.
I became frustrated, I mean honestly, it's just a small piece of plastic right? I explained to her that her precious crown was not broken, and that it was barely noticeable, but her sadness was not lessened.
We ended up changing the subject in hopes she would forget about it (yeah right!!)
but this is a constant thing. The littlest things become monumental times of mourning.
I cannot remember when I was three, and I suspect that most people do not remember being three years old, but I have to remember that as a child, their toys, their clothing, and bedding, everything they claim as "theirs" is the ONLY things they feel they have control over. If, God forbid, something is tarnished, or worse BROKEN, their little lives and their feelings of control also feel broken.
I've spent a better part of her young life trying to figure out how to help her through this, but I don't know how. Unfortunately, explanations only incite more questions.
Questions, ah yes, the infamous "Why". I DREADED the day I heard that word come out of her mouth. I knew that "Why" had driven others to the brink of insanity, determined to be different, I was positive, that "Why" would not happen to me, BOY was I proven wrong, DEAD WRONG.
Now I'm the mother on the brink of insanity, I'm the mom who's trying to figure out the best answer when every answer is followed yet again by "Why".
My newest solution, one my mother taught me, was, when you've simply had enough "Why" questions, and you're about to explode, the correct response that usually elicits joyous laughter is:
"Y is a letter in the alphabet, it comes after X and before Z"
You don't have to agree with my reasoning, and if you have better solutions, they are more than welcome... I am learning, right along with my daughter.
I became frustrated, I mean honestly, it's just a small piece of plastic right? I explained to her that her precious crown was not broken, and that it was barely noticeable, but her sadness was not lessened.
We ended up changing the subject in hopes she would forget about it (yeah right!!)
but this is a constant thing. The littlest things become monumental times of mourning.
I cannot remember when I was three, and I suspect that most people do not remember being three years old, but I have to remember that as a child, their toys, their clothing, and bedding, everything they claim as "theirs" is the ONLY things they feel they have control over. If, God forbid, something is tarnished, or worse BROKEN, their little lives and their feelings of control also feel broken.
I've spent a better part of her young life trying to figure out how to help her through this, but I don't know how. Unfortunately, explanations only incite more questions.
Questions, ah yes, the infamous "Why". I DREADED the day I heard that word come out of her mouth. I knew that "Why" had driven others to the brink of insanity, determined to be different, I was positive, that "Why" would not happen to me, BOY was I proven wrong, DEAD WRONG.
Now I'm the mother on the brink of insanity, I'm the mom who's trying to figure out the best answer when every answer is followed yet again by "Why".
My newest solution, one my mother taught me, was, when you've simply had enough "Why" questions, and you're about to explode, the correct response that usually elicits joyous laughter is:
"Y is a letter in the alphabet, it comes after X and before Z"
You don't have to agree with my reasoning, and if you have better solutions, they are more than welcome... I am learning, right along with my daughter.
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