autonomy

I LIKE kids with a little autonomy, a little agency, a little go get it-ness. I like to hear things like,

"Sure. I'll do it Mommy. I can put my own shoes on."

or

"I want to get forks for everybody."

or

"I'll wash my own face."

or

"I'll just pick out my own underpants today."

Imagine my combination of horror and delight when I heard the T-monster exclaim last night, "Oh no! My ball went up on the roof!"

and I sighed and said, "That's okay honey. You can play with something else for now. We'll let a strong wind blow it off." (This "strong wind" idea because we never have ponied up for a ladder tall enough to reach up there...)

And then, instead of hearing a disappointed boy voice, I heard a little perky kid holler over to me:

"That's just okay Mommy! It's not EVEN a problem! I'll just go and get a shovel! I'm just gonna whack it off the roof with that big shovel we've got!"

And he went and got the big shovel from where it was leaning by the garden and he proceeded to drag the heavy and long and big shovel (all the while grunting and stammering) over to where he thought the ball had been lost on the roof and he attempted to raise the big shovel high enough into the air to whack the ball off of the roof. ..Near the only windows that don't let in cold air. ..Near our nice siding. ..Near our garden swing...The big shovel wildly out of control, swinging in the air, the little 3 year old boy staggering under its big shovel weight like a drunkard in the early morning light.

And do you think I put a stop to this madness?

Heck no.