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Toddler truths
They have a knack for the truth and it ain't always pretty. Sometimes, though, it's brilliant!
It was my birthday and in honour of going out to lunch with my husband, I had done my makeup, put on some decent clothes and even straightened my hair. I looked somewhat different to my usual comfy routine of trackies, slippers and delinquent hair. Later that afternoon we both went to collect my son from nursery school. Upon spotting my entrance he leapt into my arms (which is a rare occurence these days - he prefers to hide in the corner when he sees us coming and refuses to come home!), and quietly said, "You look beautiful mummy." Then to his main carer, who happens to share my name, "Penny, my mummy is beautiful."
Now, let me assure you that I did not train him to say this, nor prompt him for a compliment. It was completely spontaneous. I think my heart did a little tippy toe dance at that point and my eyes welled up. I hugged him close, all recent frustrations vanishing, and whispered in his ear, "Now when I see you tomorrow, tell me that I am the best mummy in the world."
Big hair and brown skin
"That lady has big, red hair, doesn't she?"
"That man has a very big beard."
"There's no seats for the brown man, are there?"
Aghhh! It has begun. The wanting to shrink or dissolve or evaporate into nothingness as my toddler makes observations about the people around him. Accurate, they are. Truthful, they are. Innocent, yes. A bit too loud and socially not quite on the mark? Absolutely!
My sister asked me if I had told him off; explained that it is not the right thing to do, to make these observations in an audible manner. But, no, I didn't. He is not observing with menace, simply using his quickly developing language skills and desire for conversation to comment on the world around him. "Yes, you're right," I told him. "There are not many seats left on the train."
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