Winning the Heart of My Three-Year-Old

Recent Jamie quotes:

 

Upon waking first thing in the morning, after what must have been an awesome dream: “Mommy!  Cows outside!”

 

    

Singing: “Who let the farts out?! Thbbbt! Thbbbt! Thbbt!”

 

 

Jamie: “Mommy, when I go to bed, I don’t even close my eyes.”

Me: “You don’t?  How is that even possible?”

Jamie: “I have the instructions in my head.”

 

We spend a lot of time walking to & from school.  It’s tired work.

 

Jamie, pleading: “Peeeease, Mommy, can we go to the store to get a chainsaw?”

Me, incredulous: “No.”

Jamie, whining: “But I NEED a chainsaw to cut wood with daddy!”

 

 

I am extraordinarily lucky.  I have the opportunity to own a business with my brother and make my own working hours – I have to work, but if I work hard, I don’t have to work that much. 

 

When Charles and Jamie were small, I eased them into daycare.  Neither went full-time until they were at least a year old, and I wanted to do the same with Freddie, but with one major difference: I decided to pull Jamie back to part-time as well.  Jamie and Freddie now attend daycare three days per week, and even though it’s really difficult (I sometimes have more work to do than I can complete while they’re in daycare), it’s been a positive change for Jamie to have more time with me and Freddie.

 

 

Charles is such a social kid – he truly wanted to be in daycare full-time when he was small.  Jamie, on the other hand, really likes quiet time with me, reading and playing.  He does fine in daycare, even loves some of it, but spending two (more – he’s with me on the weekends, too, of course) days at home or running errands seems to really keep him happy.  He acts out less and acts up more.  Though he still throws the usual three-year-old tantrums, they are fewer and further between.

 

There are so many sacrifices in parenting.  Jamie’s well-being is worth the sacrifice of my working hours.  I’m not saying that I’ll be able to do this forever, but for now, it’s really nice.