I spent a good part of yesterday with my three-year-old nephew, and I went to bed exhausted. He’s like a compact aerobics instructor crammed into a size 4T. Other than his afternoon nap, we were on the go.
He’s fun to observe because he just loves life. I was thinking about his little face last night and a thought came to me:
I should be more like my three-year-old nephew.
Here’s why:
HE ATE DESSERT FIRST
I made him lunch when he got to my house, and he ate the cookie first. It seems like we get so hung up on what we SHOULD eat or do that we just don’t allow ourselves to enjoy the good stuff first. Some might say that kids need discipline. Eat your veggies first, right? I’m not a parent, so maybe the “parent” move was to save the cookie for after his lunch. But at the end of the day, who cares if he ate dessert first with me? He enjoyed it and then went on to his apple peanut butter and the other nutritious items on his plate. I tend to be fairly regimented in my life, but sometimes ya just need to live a little.
HE DISPLAYED HIS QUIRKS
He spilled a little bit of his milk on his shirt. It upset him, and he took it off and handed it to me. Fix it, Auntie Mel. I had clothes in the dryer already, so I had to improvise. He was crying at this point because he needed a nap and was getting cranky. Not only that, but he’s very particular with just about everything, clothing included. He prefers things to be just so. I went to the bathroom and pulled out the hair dryer. I held up the shirt and we blow dried it. His tears were still wet on his face, but he squealed with delight when the dryer was blowing my hair more than the shirt. He wasn’t ashamed of his quirks, and he didn’t try to hide them from me.
HE TOLD ME WHAT HE WANTED
I recently got black out curtains for my bedroom because the neighbors behind me have a faulty sensor light that goes on and off all night long. My room is pretty dark now, and my nephew is in that afraid-of-the-dark phase. He told me he wanted to go home and take a nap at his house. Yes, it was inconvenient. Yes, it delayed naptime, but he told me he was uncomfortable and offered a solution to his fear. Sometimes we just need to say what we want. I definitely don’t do that. I’m more of the suffer-in-silence type, but having a preference is okay.
HE TOOK A NAP
I fought naps as a child. It’s only been recently that I’ve allowed myself to take a nap once in a while. Rest is refreshing (as it’s supposed to be). I think about my To-Do list and feel guilty for not constantly working. If there’s an opportunity for a midday pause, it’s okay to take it.
HE SHARED HIS JOY IN THE TOY AISLE
He recently told my sister that I didn’t have any “kid toys” at my house. Auntie Mel only has “dog toys,” he tattled. I told him we could go pick out some toys after his nap. As soon as he woke up he wanted to go. We walked up and down every toy aisle… twice. He showed me all of his favorite toys, knocking a few things off shelves accidentally along the way. It was so much fun watching him pick out toys for my house. A child’s joy is contagious. It made me wonder if my energy is contagious and whether than energy is as positive as the little boy pressing all of the buttons on a giant Buzz Lightyear toy.
HE’S HONEST
He told me my hair was a mess. I went to a mirror and it most certainly was a big mess. We’d been playing hard, and my hair was less than put together.
HE’S INCLUSIVE
After we got back from buying the toys, he wanted to play with all of them (of course). So we put them together and opened the packages. We got a giant coloring book, and he said he wanted to color first. He handed me a marker and said, “You color wif me, please?” It’s easy for me to just do things myself. I don’t always ask for help or company with random tasks, fun or not. Sometimes I (wrongly) assume no one would want to do the fun things with me. I’ll have “fun” on my own to avoid feeling like a loner when no one is available. How stupid that sounds even to type. My nephew included me in his fun, and I shouldn’t be afraid to ask others to participate in the things I like to do too.
HE’S KIND
While we were watching a movie later in the evening, I accidentally bumped my poor little dog’s nose. My nephew looked at me and matter-of-factly said, “Auntie Mel, stop hurting her. We don’t hurt dogs. Be nice.” Of course, I didn’t hurt my dog, but he was quick to point out that it wasn’t right to do so. He didn’t hesitate to stand up for someone (or furry someone) he felt was being wronged. How often are we quiet when we should speak up? Being kind involves looking out for others, and his little face telling me to “be nice” was a good reminder.
HE ISN’T AFRAID TO SHOW AFFECTION
He doesn’t withhold his love. He doesn’t overthink a hug. He’s always excited to see his loved ones. It seems like affection can be overanalyzed as we get older. Is it because we are afraid of rejection or just want to come across as tough? I don’t think we’ve stopped caring, but maybe we’re inside our own heads. If you care about someone, tell them. If someone needs a hug, give a hug. If someone means the world to you, don’t withhold your affirmation because vulnerability scares you. Run into a bear hug like my nephew.
Embracing the typos till next Monday (or Tuesday since it’s a bad blog),