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On Christmas Eve, as we sat around Hubby’s grandparents’ house with a few dozen other people in a very little room, Little Missy loudly squealed each and every time a certain cousin tried to kiss her. His innocent kisses annoyed her, her squeals annoyed me, and in my selfish desire to not climb over the throngs of people and legs crammed into a small space, I hollered my directions to her. “Little Missy, just push him away.”
So she did. She sat on the floor with two arms on the offending cousin’s chest, both of them still while she held him at bay. Casually explaining it to another cousin she said “My Mommy said I can push him away.”
That was all she needed to say. No cousin disputed her. Not even the little boy she held at arms’ length. No child dared challenge the authority of “Mommy,” even if they didn’t know me that well. As I surveyed the situation I wondered who in their right mind gave me that kind of absolute authority. Me, who made an arbitrary and lazy decision, was never questioned by any child in the room. Me, who is still quite immature and figuring all this out myself.
Since that night I’ve noticed that is the case with all kids this age. In G’s preschool, when we have friends over to our house, when my kids are playing with their cousins, no child dares question the authority of someone’s Mom. And instead of being surprised I’ve decided to be glad. Because this kind of unquestioning allegiance to whatever Mom says can’t last that much longer.
On Christmas Eve, as we sat around Hubby’s grandparents’ house with a few dozen other people in a very little room, Little Missy loudly squealed each and every time a certain cousin tried to kiss her. His innocent kisses annoyed her, her squeals annoyed me, and in my selfish desire to not climb over the throngs of people and legs crammed into a small space, I hollered my directions to her. “Little Missy, just push him away.”
So she did. She sat on the floor with two arms on the offending cousin’s chest, both of them still while she held him at bay. Casually explaining it to another cousin she said “My Mommy said I can push him away.”
That was all she needed to say. No cousin disputed her. Not even the little boy she held at arms’ length. No child dared challenge the authority of “Mommy,” even if they didn’t know me that well. As I surveyed the situation I wondered who in their right mind gave me that kind of absolute authority. Me, who made an arbitrary and lazy decision, was never questioned by any child in the room. Me, who is still quite immature and figuring all this out myself.
Since that night I’ve noticed that is the case with all kids this age. In G’s preschool, when we have friends over to our house, when my kids are playing with their cousins, no child dares question the authority of someone’s Mom. And instead of being surprised I’ve decided to be glad. Because this kind of unquestioning allegiance to whatever Mom says can’t last that much longer.
