Monday – Hey, Jealousy!
Jun. 30th, 2008 02:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ninanevermore.
.
.
Today on my drive into work, I was thinking about how my husband is not a jealous man, but the same can't be said for our 3 year old son.
He demonstrated this to me this weekend. We were at a local fountain designed specifically for children to run though. At night, the fountain lights up, and it looks like the kids are running through wet pillars of color.
This photo was taken last November, when my son was still
too leery of the water to run thought it and be in the picture.
But at least you get a visual idea of what I'm talking about.
We were there at twilight last Saturday, and the only other playing in the water was a little girl about half my son's age. He is just now getting past his reserve about playing with children he doesn't know (he's a cautious little guy), and for the most part he was very amicable toward this dimpled-kneed little lady. That is, until she did something he did not approve of one bit: she ran over and stood within a few inches of my legs. My son stopped playing and walked over to investigate what was going on.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to his little playmate, his voice filled with suspicion and scorn.
"It's a little girl," I told him.
"But what's he doing?" My son uses the pronouns that apply to him as a default for everyone. I've noticed little girls his age who refer to everyone as a "she," so I think it is indicative of a stage of his development rather than a sign of some sort of innate sexism.
"She's just standing next to me," I told him.
"But," he said, looking me in the eye, his voice firm, "You're not his mommy. You're my mommy." His little face was stern and also kind of worried, like there was a chance I might take a shine to another child and just bring her home, perhaps forgetting that the role of "child" in our household of three is already filled.
I heard the little girl's mother, sitting on a bench behind me, chuckle. At least she wasn't offended at hearing her daughter referred to as a that.
"I know I'm your mommy, Sweet Pea. Her mommy is sitting right over there," and I pointed to her so he could see the little interloper was accounted for.
He looked at the little girl, and then at her mother, and then back at me.
"Okay," he said at last, obviously satisfied that any confusion was resolved. He turned his attention back to the fountain, and the little girl followed suit.
It will only be a few years before I, his mother, am too embarrassing to be seen with. Before too long, my kisses will be wiped off his cheek and any attempts at public affection will be greeted with protest and horror. For now, though, I am the apple of his eye, and nobody else had better mess with me. If they do, he will quickly remind them that I am his mommy, not theirs, and they would do well to remember this before they try to snuggle up to my leg.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * # * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
.
.
Today on my drive into work, I was thinking about how my husband is not a jealous man, but the same can't be said for our 3 year old son.
He demonstrated this to me this weekend. We were at a local fountain designed specifically for children to run though. At night, the fountain lights up, and it looks like the kids are running through wet pillars of color.
This photo was taken last November, when my son was still
too leery of the water to run thought it and be in the picture.
But at least you get a visual idea of what I'm talking about.
We were there at twilight last Saturday, and the only other playing in the water was a little girl about half my son's age. He is just now getting past his reserve about playing with children he doesn't know (he's a cautious little guy), and for the most part he was very amicable toward this dimpled-kneed little lady. That is, until she did something he did not approve of one bit: she ran over and stood within a few inches of my legs. My son stopped playing and walked over to investigate what was going on.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing to his little playmate, his voice filled with suspicion and scorn.
"It's a little girl," I told him.
"But what's he doing?" My son uses the pronouns that apply to him as a default for everyone. I've noticed little girls his age who refer to everyone as a "she," so I think it is indicative of a stage of his development rather than a sign of some sort of innate sexism.
"She's just standing next to me," I told him.
"But," he said, looking me in the eye, his voice firm, "You're not his mommy. You're my mommy." His little face was stern and also kind of worried, like there was a chance I might take a shine to another child and just bring her home, perhaps forgetting that the role of "child" in our household of three is already filled.
I heard the little girl's mother, sitting on a bench behind me, chuckle. At least she wasn't offended at hearing her daughter referred to as a that.
"I know I'm your mommy, Sweet Pea. Her mommy is sitting right over there," and I pointed to her so he could see the little interloper was accounted for.
He looked at the little girl, and then at her mother, and then back at me.
"Okay," he said at last, obviously satisfied that any confusion was resolved. He turned his attention back to the fountain, and the little girl followed suit.
It will only be a few years before I, his mother, am too embarrassing to be seen with. Before too long, my kisses will be wiped off his cheek and any attempts at public affection will be greeted with protest and horror. For now, though, I am the apple of his eye, and nobody else had better mess with me. If they do, he will quickly remind them that I am his mommy, not theirs, and they would do well to remember this before they try to snuggle up to my leg.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-30 07:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-01 04:00 pm (UTC)too embarrassing to be seen with
Date: 2008-06-30 07:26 pm (UTC)Re: too embarrassing to be seen with
Date: 2008-07-01 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-30 08:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-01 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-01 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-01 07:23 pm (UTC)