Henry's day care teachers love him to bits. They tell me he's the most polite toddler they've ever cared for. When he's there he thanks them for warming his lunch, for tucking him in when it's snooze time, and for helping him to the toilet. He even politely asks the other children if he can share the toy they happen to be playing with. He apologises to everyone if he physically hurts them or if he feels he's hurt their feelings in any way. Each day when I pick him up they tell me how delighted they are to be able to take care of him. All the carers wave him off and all the kids help him out the gate. It's like he has some kind of spell over them and has sucked them all into believing he's a perfect angel. For me it conjures up images of him dressed in a suit at 30 years of age flashing some greasy smile to an investor he's just managed to con into handing over millions of dollars for his latest venture.
He has always been polite and I'm very fussy about manners so try to encourage him to use them as often as possible. Even at home when he's throwing a tantrum he's usually yelling "sorry" while he's thrashing about on the floor refusing to undress to get in the shower. He even takes himself to the naughty corner when he knows he's stretched the boundaries as far as he can. He always comes to tell me when he's ready to say sorry and flashes a big smile and gives me an enormous hug. The thing is that lately he refuses to co-operate on anything without putting up a fight first. It's like he's just decided that it's about time to let loose with the screaming each and every time he hears the words "Henry, come and...". He immediately starts saying "No, not yet. I'm too busy". He continues that until I get to boiling point and then he starts to throw himself on the ground screaming "no, no, no not yet Mummy. I just got to play cars first".
When I get him to daycare he's all smiles and hugs and full of nice things to say like "I like your hair today Debbie". Of course the only thing to do is love him and kiss him and shower him with attention.
Kids self protective mechanism is to be cute as can be so they avoid a lifetime of never getting their own way.
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4 comments:
I've got one to add:
Sleeping at Nana's for 3 hours nearly every day, but I'm lucky if I get a 45 minute nap from Owen at home.
Go figure.
Or how about never having anything to do with her father, until I want her to have a shower/go to bed/put toys away ... and then she climbs into his lap, bats her eyelashes and gives him a cuddle! Manipulative little @#%! (but you can't help but love her)
It just means that he's smart and he knows where he can act out and where he can't. Now, you just have to get him to use his powers for good instead of evil.
Meegan.
Henry does that for his Nana too.
Shaz
Don't you love that. Henry does the exact same thing to me. Run to dad who's going to think it's so cute that the kid finally wants his attention he'll tell you how mean you're being to make them do anything.
Churlita
I think you're right. Still, it'd be nice to have one day go smoothly.
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