Being the mum of a two-year-old

February 20, 2014

parentingSo the cake is eaten, all the presents are open and there are cards decorating every inch of our house; I’m officially the mum of a two-year-old.

It’s only a little leap from one to two, but all of a sudden it seems like a big difference. My toddler seems to be growing about a year each day, and it’s amazing to see (something I think fleetingly every morning,  usually two seconds before she bounces on me shouting “wake UP mummy, WAKE UP”)

Clearly parenting isn’t a job – you can’t quit or call in sick, there’s no swanky wine-fuelled lunches, and there’s definitely no duvet days – but if it was, you’d need a unique skill-set and resources for parenting a two-year-old I reckon…as follows:

Eyes in the back of your head: Filled with a wondrously active curiosity about the world since she could crawl, my daughter seems to have stepped up a gear after her birthday. Every so often all seems quiet so I sit down and relax and just go to silently check my email behind a cushion for a second, and OH WAIT there she is, dancing on top of our table, shouting “look at me!” Good practise for being a teenager, at least?

Ability to preform repetitive tasks, again and again: Lets not speak of ‘Miffy comes to stay’, one of the current favourite books, as it’s having a little holiday in the cupboard to save our sanity after reading it So. Many. Times. See also: picking up the toys from the floor.

Unlimited reserves of energy…It’s both a sprint and a marathon, simultaneously. And surely five times more exhausting (although two-year-olds themselves seem to have tapped an energy source that’s so pure they never, ever stop).

…and patience: “Mummy!” “Yes?” “Mummy!” “Yes” “Mummy!” And repeat.

Translation skills: It took us days to work out that ‘miggy’ meant ‘move’. Who can guess what ‘guitar’ means?* I love being able to chat with her so much (even if we do have gloriously mundane chats about the winner out of Peppa yoghurts or Thomas yoghurts). Language-wise, it’s seems like we’re finally on the same page.

Attention to detail: Yesterday a trip to the park that’s five minutes away took twice as long, as we stopped to look at a traffic cone, a snail and a giant muddy puddle. It’s amazing what’s fascinating when you’re so small and close to the ground.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Submissions via CV and covering letter, please. Successful applicants will be rewarded with unlimited wine post-bedtime.

* Stickers

1 Comments

  • Shirley

    February 22, 2014 at 10:54 am

    All good practice for when she hits thirteen

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