Skip to main content

Sharing is Caring


One of the most difficult things to teach a toddler is sharing. They think everything in the world is theirs and they ever want to part ways with their "favorite" thing (or the favorite of the moment). In our house we try to talk about how we share with our friends because we want our friends to share with us, we share because we can't play/hold/have everything at once and we share because, indeed, everything is not ours. It's tough for a little kid, but a necessary skill to learn.

Sometimes I think it's harder to share for adults than kids.

Overall, generally, for the most part; I don't care if you use my stuff, take it, use it, return it or not. I'm not attached to it. Where I start to get ornery is when I have to share my time. I don't mean volunteering or giving my time to help a friend. I'm talking about when I have something planned, or I get a bit of precious "me" time and something or someone comes in the way of it. I want to throw a drop-down, drag-out tantrum like the best no-nap toddler. Tell me I can't leave, I can't see my friends, I can't make a cup of coffee, I can't write a blog, well you best be on your way before I count to ten. I've found that even when I set aside time to clean or organize if I have to spend my time doing something else, well, let's just say it's not pretty.

I'm trying to get better, really, I am.

I think since becoming a mom my life is over-structured, over-routined, set in a schedule. Before the little lady came I never carried a planner, never wrote down a thing, lived and did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I embraced the idea that kids need a routine to feel secure and comfortable; I whole-heartedly agree! The problem I have is that now I feel need to put everything in a schedule, including our down time and when I schedule in some personal time and it goes awry I get a little cranky.

Ok, a lot cranky.

So, I've decided that as I teach the Tiny Toddle Tornado to share, I'm going to take a page from my own book and re-teach myself to share as well. Take a step back and let life happen a little more, not get so crazy when life gets in the way of me getting a break. Because you what? I get the time I need, one way or another, and I don't need another thing to stress about.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Confession #1

I don't fold and put away my clothes. Really, you'd think by the time I graduated from college, got married, bought a house and had a kid that I would be able to take care of myself. But no, there are still a number of things that I can't seem to get the hang of. Like laundry. Well, that's not true. I actually don't mind doing laundry. Washing and drying clothes is no big deal. (Let's not point out that a machine takes care all of it...shall we?) Even un-organized me has a day that I do laundry. Monday. Now granted, it is Tuesday and the first load went in about twenty minutes ago, but hey, I did bring it downstairs yesterday! The washing machine does it's job, the dryer theirs. So the laundry is done, it's been brought upstairs and I pile it on the bed in a overly idealistic display of domesticity; where it sits all day until the guy goes to bed and pushes it onto the floor. Now, if it's started out to be a good day, the pile will end up o

A Giveaway, A Giveaway!

Well fellow inter-friends, I was going to post today about my experience with the Wii Fit. However, upon looking at my post number I realized that today was post #95. Which means that I get to announce the nifty little giveaway I have planned for post #100. Giveaway you say? Oh yes, just keep reading folks. I'm not going to get too introspective and sentimental today. After all, I have to leave myself something to write for the hundredth post. I'm excited that I made it this far. When I started out I really, really hoped that I'd actually write in this space and feel motivated enough to keep writing here. And I do! I like having something to do everyday that is for me, and really (sorry to disappoint you) only me. We can discuss this at more length next week, when I've actually made it to one hundred. So, the details. I want to know more about who you are. Yes, you! The people that come and read my stuff everyday. Or every week. Heck, if you're just pa

I Did It!

Yep, that's right. I am a student again! A few weeks ago I started receiving emails from the Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) department at Hamline. They looked like mass emails about job openings and announcements. It was either a cruel joke or I had been admitted but not received my acceptance letter. After two days of emails and two days of trying not to get excited I finally called at 4:55 one afternoon (the office closes at 5). I told the woman on the phone that either Hamline was very good at playing cruel jokes on prospective students, or was I really admitted? She laughed and said, "Congratulations, you are a grad student." A grad student!? I'm a grad student! So I hurriedly filled out my FAFSA and got to worrying about how I was going to pay for it. Then Friday I got my Financial Aid info and sure enough, the government is more than happy for me to add onto my student loan debt. Now just to figure out how to reorganize my time to study, find a prog