Monday, November 10, 2008

"No" Should be a One-Way Street

It’s hard being Mommy to the most beautiful little girl in the world. It really is. When she was first born it wasn’t so difficult; she slept a lot, she stayed where she was put- she spent most of her time simply being cute.

Now she hardly sleeps, she never stays still, and she spends most of her time getting into trouble. There are just too many buttons on the microwave that need to be pushed. Too many books that need to be washed in toilet water. So many high places to climb that double as good places to practice ladder-building skills in order to reach.

How quickly babies go from being innocent well-behaved people to world-menacing toddlers. Whoever decided that the word “no” should be a simple two-letter word must have been an illicit drug user or had no experience with parenting. Children learn the word much too quickly. I suppose it is possible that if the word were pronounced “imneptabulous” children could still learn to say it rather young.

As much as toddlers and babies alike love to say “no,” they tend to become completely and utterly offended if the word should be directed toward them, and they wail and scream as though their very life is at an end. “No, you can’t juggle the cleaver.” “No, you may not put your finger in the electrical outlet.” “No, you may not hang from the chandelier.” It’s all very dramatic.

In the last couple of weeks, the baby has begun to put on her most pathetic face and whimper “come here, come here,” as she lifts her arms to be picked up and skooshes her fingers open and closed. She especially loves to pour on the ooey-gooey cuteness after she gets in trouble. I need to work on my stern face.

7 comments:

Becca Joy said...

i'm really actually quite upset. you have the two cutest children in the world... that dooms us all to have kids that just aren't as cute as yours! jeeze faith! ;)

Faith said...

I know. It's unfair. Really.

Bethany Streng said...

WHY IS SHE SO CUTE?!?!?! and i agree with becca. i've always said that i'm afraid to have kids because they just might be ugly in comparison.

Rach said...

Oh my goodness that IS quite a pitiful little face! (And impossibly adorable at the same time!)

fawndear said...

Don't be fooled. The whole ooey-gooey puppy-dog cute eyes are built-in self preservation skills.

Don't even try fighting them. Just give in and love em no matter the mess or scaled heights.

Then Pray they survive themselves.

Granddad said...

I the words of James Taylor, "when you give me that pretty little pout, you turn me inside out, because I love you, yes I do".I love that little girl.

Anonymous said...

I am completely and utterly rendered inoperative by that face. I feel like I'VE done something wrong when she makes that face at me.

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