OK, so as I sit at my painfully slow computer wishing not only was it faster but that it hasn’t been over three months since my last post. I know I have said this before but boy does time get away from you. I am actually typing this in a word document that I will then copy and paste onto my blog. That is how slow my computer is running. All my other Internet devices are super speedy so common sense tells me it’s my computer, not my Internet. Anyway, what has really pulled me from my stupor is this: Why is it that toddlers need to be around other kids?
Now just bear with me on this one. As a mom home with her toddler, (at least during the day) I am always reminded that Ella needs to be exposed to other kids because of one reason or another. The main reason I hear is so she can learn how to play with other kids. Well, I get it really I do, but shouldn’t the more important lesson be how to get along with others, period. I mean yes, she will need to get along with other children, sure but she also will need to know how to interact with adults, right? My train of thought goes along the track of, isn’t the best person to teach her how to interact with others myself and my spouse? I know how I will expect Ella to behave with others, therefore I feel I am the best person to show her that. I mean, are other toddlers really going to teach her to behave properly? I seriously doubt it. Then you run into the problem of her picking up undesirable behavior from other kids. She sees it’s OK for kid number one to take a toy from kid number two, so monkey see, monkey do and she starts doing it. You then have to again teach them that it’s not OK to take toys away but Mommy of kid one is not teaching the same lesson. So maybe I am more anti-playgroup? I do bring Ella over to play with a few toddlers her own age and she does well, but I know those Mommies well and we are on the same page as far as what is acceptable and what is not as far as behavior and rules.
I am going to venture slightly off topic and ask what do you do when someone else’s kid does something to your kid, that you wouldn’t let your own child get away with? Example, Ella and I were at the library when she took out an abacus to play with while I picked out some books for her for the week. She was just sitting at the little table playing with it, when another girl grabbed it from her, Ella then called for me. The dad of this girl asked her why she was being so naughty that day and that she was making him sad. That was it, not a word about taking the toy or that she should give it back. I just took Ella by the hand told her it was OK and that we were going to go home. In retrospect I wish I would have said something. This was also the same girl that was disruptive during story time and would not stop whining nor would she sit down but kept standing up blocking everyone’s view of the book. I feel Dad should have removed her from story time, clearly Dad is a pushover. Well, I know why she is naughty, you don’t discipline. Duh. ( I have removed Ella from story time when she didn’t want to sit and listen, along with an apology to the group. I am not a hypocrite.)
The above example is just one of the reasons I don’t feel it’s that important to make sure Ella is around other kids on a regular basis. When she is more pre-school age I would make more of an effort but until Ella actually is interested in playing with someone instead of next to them I’d rather not have to deal with naughty kids and their lazy parents. Harsh, I know but in my defense, I do not work as hard as I do to have a well behaved toddler just so someone else’s kid can treat her exactly how I have taught her not to behave. For now she is still my baby and I am still in protection mode, when she can speak well and is a little older it is different because then she will be able to verbally stand up for herself. Plus the things parents let their kids get away with is maddening and I don’t know how long I can bite my tongue.
I would love to hear other reasons it's important to have your toddler around other kids, you know other than germs.
