A Realization about being a Mother

I always swore that when I had kids, that would never happen – if my child were funny, I would laugh, I would make him feel so good about his natural inborn funniness that his self-confidence would soar. Well today, I realized that doesn’t really happen.

Oliver was being cranky and asked for a nap – a 2 year old asking for a nap you ask? Well yes, somewhere along the line I did something right, and my child will tell me when he needs a nap. Don’t hate me for this, believe me, there are so many things we still need to work on! After being in his room for a little bit, he called for me – and yes, I of course got up like that silly dog when he hears the bell, and went to my precious but only slightly frustrating child.

There he is on his bed, wearing his fire truck sweat suit, on all fours, with his bum toward the door, wiggling it back and forth. He says, “Mommy, I have a tail!” He was just so proud of himself, and so cute with his face just glowing. Then the crash came, the taker of joy, the squasher of pretend.  I very grown-up like told him to lay his tail down, and try to have the sleep he had wanted to have, kissed his forehead, and said night-night.

I left his room and once I had the door closed, I had to put my hand against the wall to borrow support because I was laughing so hard – yet quietly. Then a moment of sadness came across me, as I realized I had kept my laughter from him – why do we need to hide that laughter? Why can’t our children know how funny and dear and amusing they really are? Are we worried that they will become too self-confident?

Don’t get me wrong, our house isn’t barren of laughter – passing gas seems to be one of the funniest things in the world that could happen lately, it can send up great peals of small person belly laughter that would melt the last of our glaciers. The knock-knock jokes abound in our house, and even if they all end with Buzz Lightyear as the punch line, we will still laugh after the 50th time.

But the natural pretend things, the actual moments when they are learning something, or better yet, teaching us something; shouldn’t they know how much joy they are inspiring in us?