Different Strokes

A will be one feisty little girl! She is just the opposite of her brother who is somewhat shy and sensitive (so much like his father). She is already displaying certain characteristics that remind me of myself.

On Halloween, she made a huge fuss when we decided to call it a night and get the kids back home unlike her brother, who looked tired and was ready for bed. She almost pushed herself out of the stroller which made me unbuckle and carry her for the remaining part of the trick or treating trip. And when we got home, she pushed herself against me, kicked, screamed and pointed out to the street clearly indicating that she just wasn’t ready to call it quits! She wanted to continue p-a-r-t-y-i-n-g!

I wanted to get back home for the sake of the kids. It was quite nippy last night, there was a heavy chill in the air and didn’t want to expose A particularly to the cold since she just recovered from a long bout of cough, runny nose, the works!

Of course, she couldn't care less! She screamed and screamed and screamed - for nearly 45 minutes. The door bell kept ringing with little kids still looking for candy and treats. And every time we opened the door, with A wailing in the background, made some parents look at us suspiciously (hey, is that child abuse going on?call 911!pronto!!)

My frustration with her didn’t last for long. In fact I was somewhat excited to see her behavior last night. I have been noticing and observing her keenly the last couple of days and she does seem to be someone who is showing streaks of spunkiness, independence and extroversion . She dislikes to be left alone. She hates it when we put her down on the carpet and walk away from her sight. As long as there is someone in the room with her, she is fine. Whether she is playing with the magnetic letters on the refrigerator, pulling out plastic containers from the kitchen cabinet, or fishing out toys from her toy box, she is content as long there is someone else around her. She gets irritated when her brother tries to playfully hold her, hug her or tug at her. Her non verbal message is very clear: leave me alone, why can't you just do your own thing and let me do mine!

With D, we didn’t even bother baby proofing the house as he was very quite and tractable. But with A, it is another story all together. She is all over the place – literally! We have now not only one but three gates in the house and almost all cabinets and drawers child locked.

All kids are different, no doubt but I didn’t expect the differences to be so stark! It is almost night and day. So what if they came out of the same birth canal, they are two totally different personalities. And I think that’s what makes parenting fun for me and hubby dear. It is all about contingency parenting. Different strokes for different situations. It is hard no doubt but you derive so much joy that all the frustration and discouragement you endure in the process pale in comparison.

I tell you, this entire business of parenting and rearing kids, is simply incredible. Thank you D and A for all that you give us. But more importantly, thank you for providing us (mama and papa) many opportunities to learn and grow!

Oh, we love you!