It is amazing what Emma can do with a couple of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Lisa and I have been having the occasional verbal sparring with Emma, and unfortunately for us, her epee has thrust itself close to our jugular one too many times. Darth Maul, watch out.
Emma's bossiness and stubbornness reveals itself either in the morning or just after dinner. In other words, she's an angel at preschool, and the opposite at home. Yet it is hard not to find yourself amused at the things that come out of a four year old's mouth even when it is said in anger or frustration.
For instance, we were talking to Andrew about his habit of going to the toilet at the last minute because one too many poop turtles have been poking out. Lisa must've been visibly frustrated at Andrew because Emma decided to chime in.
"Andrew needs to listen to his own body," Emma explained to Lisa. "Mommy, you worry about yourself, and Andrew will worry about himself."
Thanks for the advice, NPR Jr. radio host. I have no idea how or where Emma picks up on these things, but it scares the crap out of me. I can just imagine having a conversation with her ten years from now...
"Andrew needs to learn these things for himself, "Emma might explain to me. "Daddy, you worry about yourself, and Andrew will worry about himself. Now you two made me late for lamaze class!"
I occasionally try to humor Emma with her four year old advice and commands, but I do try to set her straight that there are times when she has to listen to Mommy and Daddy. It is important for her to understand that her parents are there to help guide her through life and to set certain parameters. And most importantly, there are also times when she can't question her parents because the only thing Mommy and Daddy can say is "Because I said so."
No comments:
Post a Comment