My heart crumbled when I watched the older boy shove him down, grab his toy, and run away with the other children. My son’s lip puffed out, then was immediately sucked in and bit down on as he balled up his tiny body and fought back tears. I rushed over to him as I pushed down my own ball of tears lodging itself in my throat.
I wrapped my arms around my son and rocked him, feeling so helpless and triggered by my own memories of rejection.
Then, the little boy who had pushed him down returned, handed my son his toy and asked him if he wanted to kick a ball. My tiny man hopped up smiling and ran after the boy howling the toddler cry-of-joy.
I stayed on the grass, continuing to rock myself.
Tell her she’s beautiful. Tell her she’s perfect. Tell her she deserves to feel at home in her body.
Here’s to being an adult while feeling like a whimsical child still trying to figure it all out.
Dear Parent,
Children have the beautiful skill of tapping into and expressing their emotions, but face challenges when it comes to effectively and peacefully processing these emotions — even the fun ones!
When I’m daydreaming, I dream of sleep. It’s that sweet elixir that evades most homes with children between the ages of 0 to around 7. Beyond sleep, parents struggle to offer their children tools for stressful situations at school and other anxiety-producing activities.
Bailey Gaddis Blog 