Toddler Emotions
A friend who reads parenting books (I don’t) told me recently about a tendency to avoid discussing emotions with boys. The next time I read with Drake, George and Martha Round and Round by the late, great James Marshall, I pointed to a picture of George looking happy, and asked Drew what George looked like. Silence. I asked, “Does George look happy?” “No.” Further silence. “Well, Drake, what does George look like?” A pause. “Good!”
OK, I thought, “good” is close enough. Then I pointed out a picture of Martha looking unhappy, and asked Drake what she might be feeling. Silence. Then, “Does she look unhappy?” “No.” “What does Martha look like?” A pause. “Cranky!”
Later in the book when one of the characters had their eyes closed, Drake pointed to it and said “Sleeping!” (of course, with his lisp it was more like “Fweeping”)
Further reading of books has only reinforced these answers. According to Drake, there are two emotions: Good and Cranky. And if someone has their eyes closed, they’re Asleep.
You know, it’s not a bad world view.
May 23rd, 2006 at 2:55 pm
That is because he is perfect.
May 24th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Oh, Auntie, that’s your answer to everything. I bet you wouldn’t say that if he’d thrown all the cushions off the couch and been hitting YOU with his shoes today while you were nursing his little brother.