Three Going On Thirteen
October 16, 2007 Uncategorized
What is it about age 3?
Chris just wrote a letter to her almost-teenage son and I could have written the same letter to Thomas.
He gives me these looks like I’m the biggest idiot that ever walked the earth. Last night I hired our sitter so I could take Dylan to hockey practice without the crying and whining from Thomas. That and um, Thomas informed me that he wasn’t going to hockey and that he wanted the sitter. When we returned home, he came down the stairs and shouted at us, “I’M WATCHING MY MOVIE!” Brows furrowed, evil eye, scowling. WTF?
Every morning, going to the gym is like pulling teeth. The first few weeks were difficult enough to get my ass motivated enough to go, but the constant mantra of “I HATE THE GYM AND I HATE YOU AND I HATE THE CAR AND I HATE THESE SOCKS AND I HATE THIS SHIRT AND I HATE OXYGEN!!!!” Yeah that is kinda hard to take.
Now that I’m addicted to the gym and know that my day will be less stressful if I just go and work out, it’s a little easier, but yesterday morning I had a ridiculous conversation with Thomas. I lectured a 3 year old on the benefits of exercise.
*smacks head*
Yes, I’m an idiot.
I told him it makes Mommy happy to go to the gym and work out. That it’s good for my heart and body. Things he wouldn’t really understand I guess, but I was on a roll and he was actually listening. Then I made a mistake. I said I was sick of being fat.
He looked at me, wide eyed, his innocence flowing around me and I knew he was still listening. I stared back, knowing I shouldn’t have said that to him. I don’t want my kids to have negative body images and I know that I need to set the examples of healthy habits without using negativity and such, but it just came out.
Thomas, wiser than me at that moment, put his little arms around my neck and said, “You’re beautiful, Mommy.”
On the way to the gym, he said from the back seat, “I don’t hate the gym Mommy,” which really meant a lot but I don’t know if he just likes doing his own thing here at home or if he isn’t happy with change, or what. It seems he doesn’t like going out, period.
Of course he loves going outside, and loves the library, but running errands, going to the hockey rink and the gym seem to be difficult for him. I try to give him lots of warning before we go anywhere, but he fights me – a lot.
3 was the toughest age for Dylan too, so maybe I just need to be patient and get through this. I need to remember that once he gets to the gym, he’s fine, it’s just some days, by the time I get there, I feel like I’ve already worked out.
