Toddler Time

It's not just the transitions that are slower with a toddler. Everything takes more time. As you walk out of the house, you must take a detour on the grass and maybe peek into the neighbor's yard. A trip from the couch to the bookshelf to get a book might involve a few extra minutes choosing a car to take with you or a stop to play with a toy on the seven foot journey.

Partially it's the fact that everything is a distraction at this age. And focus is different. You focus on what interests you right now and what is in front of you. So if you want to get a book on the bookshelf and there's an interesting toy on the way, the book can WAIT. It is also that at this age, everything is so new and INTERESTING. New dandelions growing on the path on the way into Grandma's house? Gotta check them out. Now.

I spend a lot of time waiting. I have realized (again) that the destination is not as important as the journey and this little guy needs time to discover and explore. Sometimes when we are on the way to an appointment I have to take a few deep breaths. And at bedtime as I'm trying to get him into his pajamas, I have to remind myself that a few extra minutes are not going to kill me.

We visited a friend the other day and Toe asked to go into her garden and pick blackberries. On the way into the garden, Toe discovered strawberries and started picking those and looking at bugs. My friend said, "Toe, the blackberries are over here." Toe did not respond. My friend laughed and said, "Oh yeah, I forgot, we're on toddler time."