I guess as a preschooler I was a talker.
Shocking revelation, I know.
I can't imagine myself that way at all; I don't like to talk (sarcasm is just dripping off of the page right now; there's plenty to go around, if you need to use some.).
Yeah, right.
I'm a talker. Just ask my husband.
Or my daughter.
Or my sister.
Or my friends.
Or my mom, for that matter.
Anyway, one of my mom's favorite stories to tell about me as a child is the time she told me to shut up.
She swore she'd never use those two words together to her children.
Then she had me.
Seeing as how I'm the oldest child, her resolution didn't last very long.
Probably only two years, maybe three.
So, one day I was following my mom all over the house, chatting up a storm, asking question after question. My mom had to use the bathroom, and wanted to do so in private (imagine that! A mom wanting a moment to herself! And having to result to locking herself in the bathroom and locking her child out! The nerve!) and to have a moment of peace from my incessant chatter.
I, of course, didn't get the memo on this desired peace and quiet, and so I kept talking away, following her into the bathroom, naturally.
My mom, who had had enough of me by this time, pushed me (gently, I'm sure) out door, slamming it and yelling, "Shut up!"
I'm not sure how I responded.
It must have been horrible, since I have blocked that memory from my mind (I was 2). A mom yelling at her oldest, beloved daughter! Never!
There is a point to this whole story. Bear with me.
While I have never (yet) told Cinderella to shut up, I have thought it before. Several times, in fact.
Why, you ask?
Cinderella is a talker. A good one. With a large vocabulary that she likes to use at all possible moments in the day.
She'll talk to me; she'll talk to Sleeping Beauty; she'll even talk to herself (during play, but to herself, nonetheless).
It must be genetic.
It's got to be genetic, right?
She can't do what she's told without asking at least 5 questions concerning what she's supposed to do, and how, and why.
She can't ask just one question without thinking up at least 3 more, relevant to the topic at hand or not.
I love her curiosity; I encourage her curiosity.
I love that she can communicate clearly and effectively; I've overheard some great conversations because of it.
But does she have to talk ALL THE TIME?!?
She's woken her sister up numerous times with her "whisper" voice that isn't whispering at all; it's more like shouting quietly.
She's woken me up, just to ask me if she can wake up.
Guess what just happened this afternoon?
Yup! I'm awake; Sleeping Beauty's awake and cranky; Cinderella is still in bed because I won't let her "wake up" yet.
I need a break from all the talking.
She needs a break from doing the talking.
So, what is she doing right now?
Talking to her toys...
My 2 year old daughter is quite the talker too. Oddly enough she does most of her talking when her brother isn't around.
ReplyDeleteWe can totally relate in our house! We often say of our Big Boy B, "Instant conversation. Just add milk."
ReplyDeleteBTW... my mom tells a story on me that one day my dad came home from work and I was chatting up a storm, with my mom ignoring it all. Finally Dad couldn't stand it any longer and demanded of Mom, "Why don't you answer her?"
Mom replied, "What did she say?" She'd actually learned how to block out the noise. :)
Marie: It's amazing how kids' personalities show themselves when they're alone!
ReplyDeleteTwinmommy: That's a funny story! Sometimes I wish I could do that, but I'm not sure it would work. Cinderella likes to have full and complete attention when she talks, even when talking to her dolls.
I've said shut up to my kids in anger. I regret it now. I guess I had just had it though w/ all their bickering w/ each other. They weren't talking to me that day, but they were arguing incessantly w/ each other. I told them it's not right to subject other people to that, that if they want to bite each other's heads off all day long, they'll have to spend their day out of the house, away from me!
ReplyDelete-bm