My kids and notes: Year 9.11
March 12, 2025
Life with JB
At pickup one evening, one of Smol Acrobat’s classmate’s parents commented that their kid comes home and talks about how much JB and Smol Acrobat adore each other and how cute that is.
At that moment, they were running down the hall, Smol Acrobat firmly attached to JB’s back like a little koala burr, both cackling and giggling. It is cute. I’m glad they still enjoy each other. The ratio of cute getting along vs bickering has been on the high side of cute this month and I’m grateful for it.
It occurred to me that this harmony is probably because Smol Acrobat has moved out of their “mommy only” phase and has least one foot firmly back into the “JB ALL THE TIME” phase. As an infant, JB was their favorite person. When they were 2 and 3, they shifted to being more needy with me which made JB quite miffed every time they were rebuffed in favor of me (or dad). Now, though, Smol Acrobat is back in the JB is best camp allowing JB to perform miracles like waking SmolAc after impromptu naps and having them giggle instead of screaming themselves hoarse demanding Dad. JB LOVES being the center of SmolAc’s world. Absolutely loves it. They don’t always want SmolAc around but a hero-worshipping SmolAc is absolutely their jam. This phase will shift again at some point but I’m appreciating the benefits.
The sad bits are when JB isn’t around and SmolAc becomes a deflated balloon: I want Weeeeeee. D:
Life with Smol Acrobat
Swim lessons with Smol Acrobat are no longer terrible for PiC because he doesn’t have to be in the water with them anymore. It was no hardship being in the water with JB because they swam like a fish but Smol Acrobat was a water-resistant kitten who refused to do anything. Now they’re independently working with the coach and actually trying things.
They’re also finally starting to do some chores with less whining and grumping beforehand. It’s not always with a good attitude but it’s finally not always a bad one either.
Related: I’m cracking down on their grunt-stomp behaviors. Their reaction to anything they don’t like or don’t want has always been: grunt-STOMP. This started a couple years ago a while ago, always when they were emotionally disregulated enough that a correction would result in a total meltdown. It felt manipulative but I’m pretty sure they weren’t, it was overwhelm. Now they’re more regulated and it’s time to cut it out. I know it’s time because when I started enforcing the “Nope. None of that”, they actually listened and shaped up instead of turning into a mess of tears. They pulled it when I set a limit on bedtime reading. NGGHH-STOMP.
Ok, you have a choice here: some reading or no reading. Bratty behavior gets no reading. Which is it going to be?
Some reading.
This tracks with what their auntie said about the kids she’s teaching in this age group. The pandemic babies are lacking swaths of socioemotional learning and it’s very apparent. This is the sort of stuff we did with JB at least a year or two earlier than we could with SmolAc and I’d wondered if that was an individual thing or a pandemic baby thing.
Precious Moments
SmolAc: Mommy. You have to take care of me ALL da time…
Me: That’s true
SmolAc: and I have to take care of YOU all da time!
Me: 🥹
*****
Smol Acrobat hates Hopper from A Bug’s Life. Totally freaked out by him. We reassured them: it’s ok, you’re safe, Hopper is just pretend.
Smol Acrobat: yeah! And also VILLAINS are just pwetend!
Ohhhhh … buddy. I’m not going to tell you.
*****
SmolAc: I see another van! And it’s ewectwic!
Me: What? How can you tell? (It’s dark and we’re on the freeway!)
SmolAc: Because I used my BWAIN.
Me: Oh. Ok….
SmolAc: And because I just know.
*****
SmolAc, negotiating: I don’t want to sweep in (JB)’s bed, I just want to hang out wif dem for a widdle bit.
