Mondays with Meyer: Wonders, a Tantrum and a Nap.

For many people, Mondays mean a slog back to the work-a-day week. But I look forward to Monday. It’s the day when my world is enlightened by the view of life through a two-year old’s eyes.

It’s a life full of wonder. As we walk through the park, she runs to the curly slide. Climbs the shape wall. Jumps from one circle to the next. Then, she decides to walk instead of ride around the lake looking for geese, ducks and heron. When walking gets too tiring, she rides up the hill sipping on juice and nibbling on snacks. 

It’s also a life with large learning curves. 

Walking on her own through the park is a new, energizing freedom for her. But when she slides into a mud puddle and falls, it’s a nasty surprise. Climbing stairs are much easier now, but sometimes, trips happen. Toys fall over. Juice spills. A puzzle piece just won’t fit into place. 

“Ah,” I say, “I hear the sound of frustration.”

I let her know that we all feel angry and frustrated at times. No one likes to trip, fall or hurt themselves. Things break and spill. It’s ok. Messes happen all the time. So do tantrums.

So what can you or I do? Right now, I can pick her up, kiss it and try to make it better. I can wipe her tears and put a bandaid on her knee. Together, we can clean up the mess.  Sew a new nose on Kanga Mom. Work to figure out the puzzle and get those pieces to fit as best we can.

After a big morning of learning the hard way, it’s time for a nap. 

We have our ‘reading and rest time’. We don’t call it a nap, because she’s NOT sleepy. Sound familiar? It should. Because our society pushes us to work, run, produce, more and more everyday. So it’s understandable that we all forget the importance of rest time. 

I cherish our quiet time in the afternoon. I love sitting with her curled up on the blankets reading The Very Busy Year, Benjamin Bunny, The Little Mermaid and Winnie the Pooh. Lately, Winnie is  her favorite because she gets to be surrounded by the stuffed characters my now-grown children played with; Pooh, Eyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and little Roo. 

A little exercise, learning moments and a rest. 

Mondays with Meyer aren’t just a chance for me to teach her, they are teaching moments for me as well. Every week, I see the wonder around me and learn new things. And yes, life is full of drama, stress and mess. Sometimes, we all get cranky, too.  

And, as she will find out soon enough, isn’t always so easy to fix. 

But it’s not always the end of the world. And that’s the beginning of understanding.