A week or so ago Mago said, despondently:
“I’m not cute anymore, because I’m not a baby.”
I think this is jealousy of the attentions his new little sister is getting? But he’s how old, and saying this? (Two and a half years). And besides in my fatherly opinion this isn’t true, but besides all that, it doesn’t matter.. I hoped this wouldn’t happen. It’s bolstered by so many people he meets (especially old ladies) so emphatically saying in his company “He’s so cute!” There’s a place for it, I’d just hope not to excess. It can become (quite unintended – nobody wishes for this), the token of affection, status. No, you gotta love any kid just because they’re a kid. I’m pretty confident he’s confident enough of himself that having to be cute (to meet that demand) won’t need to be a focus, but.. how do you counter this? A few times since hearing this I’ve tried to tell him – a two-and-a-half year old! – that cuteness doesn’t matter, all that matters is trying to be good, and you are good (but, even though it doesn’t matter, you are cute to me).. it doesn’t seem to get across. Maybe a matter of time.
The affection of old ladies must be a lot more persuasive.
Tonight I went in to say goodnight to him after Tia put him to bed (and I had been watching Nem-nem), and when I walked in he said in tones speaking of a smile I couldn’t see in the dark:
“I need a hug and a hug.”
Okay. I’ll comply. As I did, he looked up in the very dim light to a picture of Jesus on the wall: (this one – link – incidentally, that one affected me more as a kid than any other painting of Jesus)
Mago: And Jesus loves them, and he’s treating them kindly. And he’s here.. and he’s showing them.. a dinosaur museum.
Me: Yes, that sounds like something Jesus would do, doesn’t it? [reader: please don’t think I don’t mean this. I do. [07/20/2015 EDIT: That link is outdated. This is a link to the intended image.] Okay, maybe not necessarily like that link..]
Mago: And.. he’s showing them a museum and it has T-Rexes.
Tia just told me they sang “Jesus said love everyone, treat them kindly too..” for bed time.
[07/20/2015 Amendment: fearing that image may ever vanish, I told the Wayback Machine about it, so here is a link to a (hopefully) permanent archive image.]
Thanks for sharing such sweet responses to life in this world, viewed through Mago’s eyes. Absolutely magical–refreshes our view of both life and good parenting!
I’m sure his responses to this world are only partly our doing (Kids arrive pre-packaged and even loaded with safety features!), but thank you.