Don’t do that. Stop it. Don’t touch. No, no. Stop. Don’t. Please stop. Hurry up. I said, please don’t do that.
Imagine that the world is approximately three million times more interesting than it even is now. You’re fascinated by everything you see, but you have a loudspeaker attached to your shoulder saying don’t touch don’t touch don’t touch all day long. Sometimes I feel like Martin and Chris must feel like that sometimes.
I detest hearing the don’t-touch-stop-it-put-that-down stuff coming out of my mouth. As much as it has got to be said sometimes, I try to have a Shut-Up Day once in a while to keep the unnecessary ones from becoming a habit. If I feel a don’t-touch-it coming on, and if I don’t have a damned good reason for it, I shut up.
If it’s not about safety or rudeness or another valid concern, why can’t he touch it? Why quell the instinct Martin had the other day to explore every button and attachment on the vacuum cleaner, then use them for magic wands, then catch crocodiles with them. So it’s a mess–big deal. When Chris squeals with shock at seeing an ant with a crumb on the sidewalk, do I really need to rush him past it to get to the grocery store quicker?
But sometimes I’m late, or tired, or, worst of all, just too accustomed to the wonder and magic they see everywhere. If I feel a twinge of that, it’s time for me to shut up for a while and let them talk to an ant.
I used to do that for my son, when he was young…I’m ashamed to say my daughter never was able to experience a Kid Day, as I called it. Whatever he wanted to do, within reason, was fine…I should do that again.
What a healthy outlook.
Oh dear, yes. I just spent the evening with Lu up at the area, biting my tongue as she wandered and dwawdled and stopped and started and argh! But what was I rushing to? We were just killing time before bath. Shut up days sound like a very sensible idea for me.
Its so hard when they want to talk to an ant and your worried about starting dinner etc..
I am thankful for it because it teaches me to look at the world in awe again
it’s a fine line for me some days between over and under parenting. I like those moments where we strike the right chord but they are few and far between. you a good mama! I can tell!
I’ve struggled with this one a lot over the years too. One time, after the umpteenth game of “castle” with my oldest, who was 4, I stood up and said that I would never, ever play castle again. That he needed to find some friends. I’ve not played castle since.
Now, with older kids, it’s less about being “in the moment” and more about trying to curb my automatic “no” to requests. I try to have “yes days”. It’s hard, though.