Mom: Would you like to have your food now?
Kid: (no response)
Mom: Please reply if you would like to have food now or after 10 minutes.
Kid: (no response, continues doing whatever the kid was doing)
Mom: I am asking you something.
Kid: (no response, looks elsewhere)
Mom: Will you please tell me if you are hungry now?
Kid: (no response, big time ignore)
Mom: WOW, look at this chocolate!
Kid: (instant response) Chocolate, where? I want it!
I recently came across the term – threenager. Have you heard this term? Well, my daughter is three years old and I might be using this word a lot I guess 😉 When you Google it, you will find various definitions. So I am not going to bore you with all those versions. Basically, it’s like a teenager phase but the much younger version!
My kid is not very naughty, in fact, she falls under the category where moms tell me that you are lucky that she’s not naughty. She recently started going to daycare for two hours and going out to play, and has discovered the power of certain terms and actions. I am actually glad that she is finally being like a child as she has only been around us grown-ups for really long. See, due to the pandemic, she was mostly indoors for two years (such a terrible thing for all kids that age, right?).
Kids this age in 2022 are actually in a very different phase than those who reached this milestone in the pre-Covid era. These kids have mostly been at home without any exposure to playgroups, preschools, parks, birthday parties and more importantly spending lots of time with kids their age. I am writing from India, so maybe the situation is different in other places, but we went through huge number of Covid cases and never-ending lockdowns. So these kids are suddenly coming out of their home cocoon and I feel really bad that they missed the gradual transition i.e. exposure to the real outdoor world in a way we had.
I, a first-time-mom, am learning new things every single day. More importantly, I am learning how to deal with 3-year-old stuff-that-needs-dealing-with in a very nice-momly way. It is obvious that, just like them, even the parents are not prepared for the sudden change. My daughter has just discovered the power of NO and the power of IGNORING 🙂 As much as I know that we have been lucky in this area as she was indoors for a weirdly long period, and as much as I am glad that she’s now enjoying her childhood the way she should, I do get irritated if I do not get answer to the same question when asked in 10 different ways. Come on, I am a human too and new to this behaviour 😉 It’s really fun when I look back at these incidents and talk or write about it, but it is sometimes really very difficult in that moment.
So, just like kids are now getting used to the normal times, we too need to be quick in adapting. It is like a jumpstart after a two-year gap. A one-year-old child would ideally start gradually mingling with the outside world and discover new things, one day at a time, while you would gradually grow up to parenting and teaching the rights and wrongs accordingly. But due to the coronavirus related delays, these kids are getting all that exposure suddenly and we are often left overwhelmed. So, while I too don’t have it all together at all times, I would like to say to think about the following when you are getting exhausted / irritated with the sudden behavioral changes:
1. Remember, it’s a sudden transition for them and they are exploring what happens when they behave in a certain manner.
2. You might have told the kid that certain things / words / behaviour are not right for kids, but they just found that the other kids do that. So they might be confused.
3. They are all too excited / not very comfortable to come across so many new people / kids suddenly, give them the time.
4. Kids are kids. They will be naughty, throw tantrums at times, not respond how you expect them to, say NO more often than you can imagine, etc. It’s okay. Try not to lose it in their presence.
5. C’mon, they were deprived of the normal childhood complete with all fun, naughtiness, falls from slides, playgroups, parks, zoos, etc. for a really long time. You have actually been lucky to spend so much time with them, right?
Anyway, here’s hoping that covid disappears soon and we stay sane and our kids stay a little naughty and very happy forever!
Taking this moment to pray for the kids in Ukraine and their parents. I can’t even imagine what they must be going through, their daily struggles, fears and challenges. We all know that the news cannot show the real picture and we can’t even watch what they are living through. May there be peace and love and normal times soon.
This is my first post for the letter A as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge 2022. I’ll be posting daily except Sundays all through the month. Stay tuned.
Read all my posts for the challenge in the A to Z links below:
A ➡ B ➡ C ➡ D ➡ E ➡ F ➡ G ➡ H ➡ I ➡ J ➡ K ➡ L ➡ M ➡ N ➡ O ➡ P ➡ Q ➡ R ➡ S ➡ T ➡ U ➡ V ➡ W ➡ X ➡ Y ➡ Z
MOM AND IDEAS 
I didn’t have those things my first few years. I was probably about 7 the first time I did any “normal” social type stuff.
It’s hard, but it’s happening everywhere, so the kids will grow up with others who shared that same starting experience. I’ll only be odd to those older or much younger, probably.
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Oh yes absolutely. The “normal” these days is so different and it’s such a relative term actually
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Did you tell her you don’t like it when she ignores you?
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Yes. I did and she understands now, sometimes 😊
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She’ll remember more and more.
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I’m finally catching up on reading some blogs, and I’m so glad I clicked on yours! My daughter is much older, but I relate so much to the new experiences coming out of quarantine have brought for my almost-teenager. Thanks for sharing!
Stopping by from A to Z!
Jayden R. Vincente
Erotic Fiction Author
jrvincente.com
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My grandchildren are 5 and 1, so their lives have been impacted by lockdowns in a way my daughter’s wasn’t. But my daughter was an only child of a single parent, so she also spent a lot of time around adults until she reached 3 years old. That’s when she discovered that her conversational skills were not that common in others of her age. I am constantly amazed at the ability of children to adjust and learn, no matter what is going on around them.
Thanks for visiting me earlier – I’m catching up on my reading 🙂
Debs visiting this year from
Making Yourself Relationship Ready
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Now my grandchildren are 12 and 10 those early days of childhood are becoming distant memories. I will enjoy reading your future posts as I did this one.
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When my daughter was about that age she forbade me to use the “N word” 😉 Enjoy the time, there will soon be new and different challenges.
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Oh…I remember when my kiddo was 3! Good times! (That was very much sarcasm. Haha!) I’m enjoying being a mom of a 13-yo much more. (That was NOT sarcasm. Haha!) Enjoy the ride…time flies by so fast!
⮞ AnjelaCurtis.com
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Interesting theme for the month. I’m not a mom, but I find this very interesting. It must be really hard for you and for all parents trying to raise kids in such an uncertain time. Looking forward to reading more.
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Hahahah I like how little M does that. Kids have that superpower I suppose. To tune out exactly what they don’t want to be bothered about and yet bring in complete focus on things that get them excited. I don’t know how they do that!!! I’m so glad finally things are truly getting back to normal, especially for little children. All others, even senior citizens have experienced a lot and can even understand by view of logic, but this is no life for children to be cooped up indoors 24*7. Wishing you guys a lot of fun adventures now and good luck for the rest of the season.
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Hey thanks Deepa, yes I missed the senior citizens’ bit. Kids at least play with toys and all, was much tough for the elderly. It did affect their Illnesses as well.
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My three daughters are long grown up and have careers and children of their own. My girls were so good growing up, but I was a single father much of that time and I think they understood and cooperated with me to the extreme. Now, they as parents seem to be doing a great job raising their own kids.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, having kids is like a box of chocolates. Since you brought up chocolate…
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out Battle of the Bands
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Parenting through Covid certainly presented challenges for my older children with so many childhood “milestones” lost (prom, homecoming, graduation and parties and sports)–but, I definitely feel for you and understand how you feel about your toddler’s isolation during the times too! I am looking forward to reading your posts! Visiting from the AtoZ Challenge!
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It definitely is very sad for the kids who don’t know what the outside world looks like..
I have seen so many videos of kids reacting to going to the mall and it is so adorable!!!
Hopping in from the A-Z community,
Dream
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To be a first time Mum and to tackle the challenge – respect! And your conclusions about the behaviour – most insightful,and although I am way past the opportunity to use it – I enjoyed learning something new!
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Hugs Anu! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures!
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Nice one Anu…i feel the pain and struggle…its a new experience…each day we as a mother learn a new lesson…all the best …eager to read more about your parenting journey
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Interesting start post and it is good to see our themes mostly clash. Ya i face every day the feeding struggles and many other covid struggles…..it’s sad for every toddler…their mental growth gets impacted…those pts u listed r useful …to be remembered. Am eagerly waiting to live normal life but I think am a transformed version now. Good luck with challenge
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I am feeling so nostalgic. Now that my son is 13 it is a different even more irritating ball game altogether. Loved the post,
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