Have you ever caught yourself becoming annoyed at your toddler when he or she is simply bubbling over with joy? For some reason, many parents (myself included) sometimes feel irritated by their toddlers when they babble, sing, or otherwise express how happy they are. I have no idea why this is or why I do it, but today I caught myself doing it and I realized that it made no sense.
It made no sense to feel irritated because Dylan was splashing around in the shower, singing at the top of his lungs. After all, he had gotten quite dirty from playing in the yard and he got into the shower without any hesitation. That was reason enough for me to be happy. Furthermore, one of my major concerns throughout the course of every day is whether or not he is happy. The familiar tune of “Old Macdonald”, which was being sung as only a two and a half year old can sing it, was not “noise”. It was an exuberant outpouring of the happiness that I wish for him to have as often as possible.
When I thought about it that way, I had to laugh at myself. Here I was trying so hard to ensure that Dylan is happy for as much of the day as possible. When he decided to express just how happy he was, I began to feel irritated because he was being loud. I was essentially feeling unhappy that my greatest wish was being fulfilled. Talk about an aha moment!
Once I realized just how funny the whole situation was, and how happy I was feeling because Dylan was happy, I decided to join him in his singing. After all, people often sing when they are happy and at that moment, my heart was filled with so much joy. A parent’s dream is to see their child happy. The next time you catch yourself getting annoyed by your toddler’s expression of her happiness, stop yourself and remember that that very moment is the type of moment that you strive to create. Once you catch yourself, you may feel like observing silently as your toddler expresses her joy. You may even be inspired to join in with your own joyful chorus. E – I – E – I – O.
Photo by ppdigital on morguefile.com.