This morning my four year old grandson got up, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth and got dressed for preschool all by himself. His bright happy energy bounced around our bedroom, sometimes hitting the wall of my adult morning routine.
After I was dressed and ready to go to work, we had plenty of time. Grandson dragged his three foot gorilla from the bedroom and asked if the gorilla could watch Sponge Bob with him.
Without thinking I said, “No.”
Then I heard myself.
“No?” The small still voice in my head asked. “No, what will it hurt if he drags that gorilla out to watch Sponge Bob? Will it really make a big mess? There’s no reason to say ‘no’.
I turned to my grandson and said out loud, “Of course your gorilla can watch Sponge Bob with you. I’m sorry. Grandma is just trying to get organized.”
I was busily stuffing his pajamas, blankie, slippers, toothbrush and toothpaste into a plastic bag. Mentally I was reminding myself to put his things for pre-school in the car when I walked my husband down to the garage.
“I’m under the illusion that if I just get organized, everything will be okay!”
* * *
The prime purpose of being four is to enjoy being four - of secondary importance is to prepare for being five. ~Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook, 1985
This morning my four year old grandson got up, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth and got dressed for preschool all by himself. His bright happy energy bounced around our bedroom, sometimes hitting the wall of my adult morning routine.
After I was dressed and ready to go to work, we had plenty of time. Grandson dragged his three foot gorilla from the bedroom and asked if the gorilla could watch Sponge Bob with him.
Without thinking I said, “No.”
Then I heard myself.
“No?” The small still voice in my head asked. “No, what will it hurt if he drags that gorilla out to watch Sponge Bob? Will it really make a big mess? There’s no reason to say ‘no’.
I turned to my grandson and said out loud, “Of course your gorilla can watch Sponge Bob with you. I’m sorry. Grandma is just trying to get organized.”
I was busily stuffing his pajamas, blankie, slippers, toothbrush and toothpaste into a plastic bag. Mentally I was reminding myself to put his things for pre-school in the car when I walked my husband down to the garage.
“I’m under the illusion that if I just get organized, everything will be okay!”
* * *
The prime purpose of being four is to enjoy being four - of secondary importance is to prepare for being five. ~Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook, 1985