In defense of toddlers

Recently at a conference I was having a conversation with a colleague and she asked how old our son was. I said he was two and she said something like "Isn't that a difficult age?" It's interesting because I would have asked the same question before and I think our image of toddlers is like that--very difficult time. Part of that is because we usually don't notice them until they are crying or throwing a fit in a public place. However, living with a toddler is very different. There are indeed fits, even melt downs but there are other wonderful things as well.

For one thing, I think toddlers end up lauging a lot more than crying. David often laughs and takes joy in very simple things. When people laugh we feel happy too and there is something very innocent and magical about a toddler's laugh that reminds us just how amazing it is to be alive.

Similarly, even when they aren't laughing toddlers give us a lot to laugh about. The essence of a joke is a humerous contradiction. This morning David tried to eat my hair and then said "Num num, good grass." Similarly he likes to build elaborate castles out of blocks and then jump up and down shouting "cupcake!" It's very entertaining.

Finally, as for emotional outbursts like fits, they have a reverse which are outbursts of real affection. When my dad gets up in the morning David will jump up and down and shout "Appa" and then go to him immediately. It's the same with my mom. She had to run some errands one day and he hadn't seen here much. She came in and sat down on a chair and David saw her. He instantly jumped up and down shouting amma in a very happy voice. He then ran over and jumped in her lap. I swear each time he does something like that it adds another day or two to my parent's life expectancy.

Thus ends my defense of toddlers!