Sandbox politics
I took Daisy to a playground today. She's been in the bucket swings before but that's it. Today I put her in the sandbox, and she was absolutely delighted. I think she could have sat there all day (and I mean "sat"-- she still does not crawl and seems perfectly content to sit, examining objects around her).
Daisy batted her eyes beguilingly at the three-year-old girl who approached her. "Uh-uh," said the girl, as Daisy reached for her shovel. "You already have a shovel." Daisy reached again for the shovel. "You already have a shovel!" the three-year-old repeated, more firmly. Then she looked at me and said, "She just doesn't know any better."
I suppose it could have been worse...much worse. But I still wanted to seize the girl's shovel and give it to Daisy. I'm going to have to work on that.
Daisy batted her eyes beguilingly at the three-year-old girl who approached her. "Uh-uh," said the girl, as Daisy reached for her shovel. "You already have a shovel." Daisy reached again for the shovel. "You already have a shovel!" the three-year-old repeated, more firmly. Then she looked at me and said, "She just doesn't know any better."
I suppose it could have been worse...much worse. But I still wanted to seize the girl's shovel and give it to Daisy. I'm going to have to work on that.
posted by Sarah Goss at 4:13 PM
4 Comments:
That's hilarious! She must have heard adults say that to her about little kids.
I think she was trying to say to you: "It's okay; I know she's a baby."
But I wasn't there, of course.
Arie used to snatch toys from kids and give them to Éiden, if he wanted them. It was hard for me to explain to him why this wasn't okay.
Yeah! I actually think this was not a bad encounter, at all; the 3-year-old was trying to be reasonable. "She just doesn't know any better" seemed to be a catch phrase she had learned from her mom--she used it many times, on a number of kids--and it was helping her not get angry at the younger kids (her mom was on the bench with a 1-month-old, so clearly this little girl has a lot to get used to, and as an older child I could have compassion for her).
She was also going up to kids her own size or bigger and saying, "I'm bigger than you are." She was kind of funny, actually. But this is what worries me: if I feel this mother-lionish over such a benign encounter, what am I going to be like when the playground encounters get LESS benign? I need help, clearly.
The phrase is actually kind of cute, since it is more of an adult phrase. I have to agree with haddayr re her intention. I can understand your mother lioness feelings, since I am furious if anyone even potentially threatens to hurt Maggie! (and Maggie isn't even human). I do have a problem with Maggie stealing the other "kids'" balls at the dog park. Bad Maggie!
Since we're talking kid interaction in the playground, my worst playground moment was approaching the entrance to a tunnel and having sand thrown in my face by older kids (to try to shoo me away, I would guess).
I can remember the moment before the sand was thrown, and I can remember being back at home (a few blocks away) in the bathroom with my mom as she used wet Q-tips to try to get the sand out of my eyes! No fun.
Every time I visit Santa Barbara I am reminded of the tunnel of misery as it still exists 28 years later!
Poor little Katherine!! See, that makes me so mad... I feel like kicking the kids' butts. Even though they were just kids. Rrrrr.
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