In a few days, my youngest child will celebrate her 4th birthday. As I reflect on the young lives of both my children, here are some of the things I have learned about 3 year olds. Do these ring true with 3 year olds that you know?
1. 3 year olds are CONFIDENT. They have figured out that there are things that they can do. They have discovered that they do things well. They are getting taller and they are developing better motor skills. They are gaining independence and they can do some things without constant supervision.
2. 3 year olds are PROUD. They are proud of themselves for the things they are learning and for their art work and for their exercise and for….whatever they do makes them proud.
3. 3 year olds are INDEPENDENT. They want to do it themselves and, lots of time, they can!
4. 3 year olds are FUNNY! They say funny things and they do funny things and they see the world in a unique, funny way.
5. 3 year olds need some QUIET every now and then. They will not necessarily ask for it, but they will appreciate a little time when they can be still and quiet and be by themselves.
6. 3 year olds still NEED A NAP. It doesn’t have to be a long one but they do need some nap time each day. One great trick to getting them to nap is to tell them, “You do not have to go to sleep but you have to be in your bed and you have to be quiet.”
7. 3 year olds still like to SNUGGLE and HUG! From what every parent always says, there will come a day (and it will arrive too soon) that they won’t want to acknowledge you in any way, much less want to touch you. I don’t know when that will happen to me but, until it does, we snuggle and hug A LOT!
Before the game yesterday, our son was on a team tied for 2nd place in a league with 12 teams. They were playing the first place team. The first place team had not lost a game all year; our team had only lost one. It was a big game!
All last week, my son came home from school and practiced in the back yard. He worked on his hitting; I threw him ground balls and reminded him to get in front of the ball. He played with anyone that even thought of approaching our driveway because he knew it was a big game. Yesterday, as he was getting his uniform on, I overheard him reminding himself (like he obviously heard from his coaches) to 1) play hard, 2) try your best, and 3) have a good time.
“What if I hit a home run every time I bat?” he asked as we drove to the field. “That would be exciting,” I answered.
The game was a good one. The score was close and both teams made good plays. They watched their coaches and they cheered for each other. When the game was over, our team had lost a close game. As they have done all year, regardless of the outcome, they lined up and shook hands with the other team. The first boy in line was carrying a homemade flag with the team logo on it, showing his pride. Another boy turned a cartwheel as he finished shaking hands. Most of them “ran the bases” after the game and anxiously ran to find out what the snack would be. It would have been nice for them to have won. It is better, though, that they played hard, tried their best, and had a good time.
My husband and I spent our walk to the car heaping praise on our son for his effort on the field. Just as we reached the parking lot, he asked “Where are we going for dinner?” I guess there really is life after baseball!
R – Remember the blessings from the week you have just finished.
E – Explore something new.
S – Sing a song.
T – Turn the TV off for the rest of the day!
