I'm a Big Kid Now
As I was pouring out milk tonight, Abbie said, “I want a big cup, please.”
Abbie is getting good at telling me that she wants something. Her wants usually involve food, specifically Goldfish or animal crackers. Occasionally they involve something to play with, such as outside or Play-Doh. Those are fine request that help avoid a meltdown, but I’ve been waiting for the day when her wants involve something that signals she’s growing up. “I want to use the potty, please” would be nice to hear. Also nice would be, “I want to go to bed early tonight so I can be fully rested for preschool tomorrow, please.
This request might be the signal I’ve wanted to hear. Abbie still uses sippy cups despite my encouragement to use regular cups. She can drink from regular cups, but usually insists on using a sippy cup. When I give her drink in a regular cup, she immediately requests a sippy cup. Her insistence may be because she knows she spills regular cups too often. When I say, “spill” I don’t mean to imply “accidentally.” Those accidental spills will happen when a child trains with a regular cup, and I try not to make a big deal out of them. No, Abbie’s spills are of the “turn the cup upside down and watch the liquid spill out” variety, or the “throw the cup after you take a drink because you don’t want to bother finding a place to set the cup” kind. Those spills irritate daddy.
Her request for a big cup might mean that she’s ready to take responsibility, that she wants to be a big girl with all the rewards and responsibilities involved. Maybe she saw some of her preschool classmates using sippy cups, decided they looked cool, and now wants to be just like them. Maybe potty training will follow, and then dressing herself, swinging herself, and keeping the colors on the paper. She’ll be patient waiting for meals. She’ll stop throwing food. She’ll stop pushing her brothers. All this grows from her desire to use a regular cup.
I pulled a regular cup off the shelf, and gave it to her. Maybe she could hold it while I poured the milk, which would be another step forward in her development.
Abbie immediately threw the cup and repeated, “I want a big cup.”
I looked up in the cupboard and checked the top shelf. There I saw the larger 10-ounce cups that we rarely use because the kids can’t finish them in one meal.
“Do you want a big sippy cup?” I asked.
“I want a big sippy cup,” she repeated.
I sighed, gave her milk in the big sippy cup, and sent her on her way. Her appetite is increasing; that’s a sign of development.
Abbie is getting good at telling me that she wants something. Her wants usually involve food, specifically Goldfish or animal crackers. Occasionally they involve something to play with, such as outside or Play-Doh. Those are fine request that help avoid a meltdown, but I’ve been waiting for the day when her wants involve something that signals she’s growing up. “I want to use the potty, please” would be nice to hear. Also nice would be, “I want to go to bed early tonight so I can be fully rested for preschool tomorrow, please.
This request might be the signal I’ve wanted to hear. Abbie still uses sippy cups despite my encouragement to use regular cups. She can drink from regular cups, but usually insists on using a sippy cup. When I give her drink in a regular cup, she immediately requests a sippy cup. Her insistence may be because she knows she spills regular cups too often. When I say, “spill” I don’t mean to imply “accidentally.” Those accidental spills will happen when a child trains with a regular cup, and I try not to make a big deal out of them. No, Abbie’s spills are of the “turn the cup upside down and watch the liquid spill out” variety, or the “throw the cup after you take a drink because you don’t want to bother finding a place to set the cup” kind. Those spills irritate daddy.
Her request for a big cup might mean that she’s ready to take responsibility, that she wants to be a big girl with all the rewards and responsibilities involved. Maybe she saw some of her preschool classmates using sippy cups, decided they looked cool, and now wants to be just like them. Maybe potty training will follow, and then dressing herself, swinging herself, and keeping the colors on the paper. She’ll be patient waiting for meals. She’ll stop throwing food. She’ll stop pushing her brothers. All this grows from her desire to use a regular cup.
I pulled a regular cup off the shelf, and gave it to her. Maybe she could hold it while I poured the milk, which would be another step forward in her development.
Abbie immediately threw the cup and repeated, “I want a big cup.”
I looked up in the cupboard and checked the top shelf. There I saw the larger 10-ounce cups that we rarely use because the kids can’t finish them in one meal.
“Do you want a big sippy cup?” I asked.
“I want a big sippy cup,” she repeated.
I sighed, gave her milk in the big sippy cup, and sent her on her way. Her appetite is increasing; that’s a sign of development.
posted by Matt at
11:29 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home