Toothbrush – check! Bedtime story – check! Prayer – check! Lullaby and sweet kisses – check! We were right on time for bed hour.

Good night, Mia!

Mommy, wait, I need to poop.

Oh. Geez.

I escorted her to the bathroom, turned the lights on, and waited outside.

Everything seemed fine. I could even hear her humming while reading her book.

But not until she noticed the empty toilet paper roll and wanted to replace it herself.

She managed to remove the old one but couldn’t fit the new roll back in. So I offered helped and showed her the mechanism of the toilet paper holder.

What happened next? STORM!

She was crying while saying all these lines.

I don’t like you to teach me… huuuuuuu.

Next time, don’t teach me because I already know.

No, honey, I have to teach you. There are things you don’t know how to do yet..

Nooooooooo. Huuuuuuuu. Huuuuuuuu.

Like me, even if I’m already an adult, there are many things I don’t know yet too.

In her frustration that she couldn’t make me agree, she slightly raised her hand and attempted to strike the tissue holder.

Uh-oh, are you going to hit me?

No. Huuuuu. I’m just going to tap you with this. Huuuuuu.

You know I’ll get hurt if you do that right?

Huuuuuuuaaaaa. Huuuuuuaaaa. How do you feel, Mommy?

I feel sad. Because you were about to hit me. And you wouldn’t let me teach you. Remember, I’m your home teacher.

But I can already do it.

Yes you can, but I have to show you how the toilet paper holder works first.

I don’t like you.

Ay. You don’t like me?

Huuu huuu, I want you. Don’t go. Why won’t you let me do it, Mommy?

I was going to let you do it. But you didn’t know how. So I had to show you first.

Noooooo.

Yes, and afterwards, you can do it yourself.

Huuuuaaaaaaaa. Are you mad?

Uh-oh, why are you holding out your hand like that again? Are you going to hit me?

I waaaaant mmmilkkkk……

(Oh..)

I waaaaant mmmilkkkk…… 

Okay, go to bed honey and I’ll make you another milk.

Did the second bottle calm her down? Yes. Are we done talking? Umm, no. After drinking it all up, she immediately asked,

Are you still upset, Mommy?

No, not anymore.

But how about me, I still don’t feel better. Huuuuaaaaaa. Huuuuaaaaa.

Mommy, you’re not the tissue teacher. You’re only the Kindermusik teacher. Don’t teach me about the tissues.

(Ganon??? LOL.)

Mommy, I want you to apologize to me..

(Oh my goodness.)

I’m sorry that you feel bad Mia, but adults help kids on things that their little hands cannot do yet.

Nooooooooo.

It’s time to sleep, anak. Close your eyes and rest.

Mommy, I’m about to cry again…

Don’t teach me about tissue……….….

She kept on saying that last line until she fell asleep. It was indeed a serious issue for her.

Haaay. Kids.

They struggle for independence but they easily get frustrated when their hands can’t do what their minds think they can. They want to be adults and yet they can’t handle the onset of tiredness or hunger. They irrationally lash out on the tissue, I mean the issue, or whatever it is on hand.

But you know, despite their sudden surge of emotions and unreasonable outbursts, they are surprisingly not too self-centered as I thought. I say that because as soon as she opened her eyes the next morning, the very first words that came out of her mouth were:

Mommy, always be happy..

??…. (I was barely awake.)

I said, always be happy. You can always teach me now. Just don’t be sad anymore.

(Whoa.)

Clip Art design by Laura Strickland