The other day Paul watched as I tried to reason with Katie. Katie had found the shirt that she wanted to wear and she wanted to wear it NOW. I was trying to convince her to stay in her pajamas for breakfast.
"Katie, wait to get dressed because you don't want to get your clothes dirty at breakfast. If you get dressed now, your pretty shirt will be all dirty and you won't be able to wear it today."
Paul laughed and said "Hmmm, reasoning with a two year old?"
I know it is pointless. Two year olds are not capable of much reason (10 year olds are not capable of much reason). I still try- maybe just once the two year old will look up at me and say "Oh, Mom, that makes so much sense! I think I will stop throwing a fit and go sit quietly and eat my lunch."
Everyday I relearn that children are . . . well, they are children. They don't think like us, they don't do things the way we think or would like them to do. The fact that they are children is what makes them so challenging and also so wonderful.
Here are a few case studies I have experienced in the last week.
*This morning Katie came to find me with something pinched in her fingers that she wanted to give to me. I held out my hand and she dropped a spider in it. I don't mind spiders, but there is something about having one (slightly smashed but still moving) dropped in your hand.
*The child (who will remain nameless) that forgot to wear underwear one day last week.
*As we stood in the rain at the Children's Parade, Rachel turned to me and said "Why are all the raindrops only falling on me?!!!"
Even with daily examples that children are in their own little world, I still find myself frequently asking them: "Why would you do that?"
They always just look up at me with a blank stare. So much for reasoning with a two year old!
:) I figure you can always try...eternal hope and all that...
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, their frontal lobes just aren't developed yet (and won't be until in their 20s - and possibly as late as their late 30s) so they really do have a hard time reasoning. Yet we all still try to reason with young kids. :)
ReplyDeleteIt so funny because it's so true!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giggle ;)
That is one of the cutest blank stares I've ever seen!
ReplyDeleteI think using reasoning works better with some kids than others. We have one kid who will remain nameless but just turned twelve who still will very very rarely to reason. But the child does respond to hugs and affection. Go figure!