Squeezing In...

Being able to put yourself into another person's shoes can be a tight fit sometimes.

It is also a very tough, but necessary lesson to teach our kids.

Both of my children still live in the age of "me me me". It is extremely difficult to get them to look beyond their own needs because developmentally that is right where they are. Share a toy? "Whatever" with a capital "W". There is a saying about toddlers that goes: If it is yours it's mine, if it's mine it's mine, and if I see and want it it's MINE! Even though this can seem impossible at times, it doesn't mean that I still don't try to instill in them a sense of empathy for others.

Recently my daughter and I were at the grocery store doing our weekly shopping. With only one kid with me it was much easier to zoom down the aisle and my list without too much trouble. We were just about finished when we heard a waling child from another part of the store. (Usually when children are wailing in a grocery store they happen to be mine.) My daughter looked up at me with big troubled eyes and asked:

Sienna: "Mommy, baby is crying. Why crying?"
Mommy: "I don't know, maybe she is sad."
Sienna: "Stop mommy...STOP! Baby is crying!! STOP!"
Mommy: "Sienna, it's okay...the baby's mommy will help her. Let's finish and go check out."
Sienna: "Nooooo mommy...NOOOO! Baby need blanket! I give mines blanket...and I give mines doggie. Mommy find baby...NOWWWWW!!!"

It took me a minute to realize that my young daughter was trying to help the crying child by offering to give her what she would need for help in the same situation: her beloved blanket and "doggie" (which is really a yellow and green frog) that together happen to be Sienna's "security" system. My daughter was showing empathy.

Now, I don't doubt for one minute that had she even had the chance to actually give the blanket to the girl she would've also instantly snatched it right back and declared, "MINES!!" in about two seconds flat.

But hey...baby steps...I'm all about the baby steps.

I turned to my daughter and told her how kind and helpful that was to offer her blanket to the upset little girl. I then went on to talk about how being helpful makes you feel good inside...but by this time my daughter had moved on and was now demanding chicken strips for dinner.

Yes, baby steps.

So tonight I am thankful that my daughter was aware enough about the needs of others, if only for a very brief moment. This really stuck with me because mostly it shows that I must be doing something right amongst all the trials and tribulations that come with raising young kids.

I'm sure that Sienna will give me a reason to ponder that again tomorrow.

Baby steps...