Inside: Toddler and preschool years are chock-full of social and emotional development. Knowing our child’s brain is ‘under construction’ allows us to put frustrating behaviors into context and to respond effectively.
“Mama, can we get some fwuut snacks? Pweeeeeeese?”
Last week, while at the grocery store, my 3-year-old and I ran into a close family friend we hadn’t seen in a long time. It was a dear friend so I ran over to greet her enthusiastically with a hug.
As soon as we finished exchanging hello’s, I knew exactly what would happen next.
Being the warm and kind person she is, she turned to my 3-year-old son (currently power slamming a granola bar) and offered him a warm greeting as well, “hey there buddy, how are you doing?”.
Then, just as I predicted, he unabashedly flashed the ‘death scowl’ at her, complete with bared teeth and a growl for good measure.
Raising a toddler is fun sometimes, right?
