30 days of summer :: day...10?

i have fourth of july pictures to share that are really from the first of july.

i haven't had time or energy to edit them.

oh well. i decided that actually coming here and sharing something was more important than editing photos. maybe another day?

things i have learned/relearned about two-year-olds:

-you must pick your battles. because every one you pick will be a full frontal combat. two-year-olds don't do anything half way, and that includes...well...everything.

-when a two-year-old is mad at you (say, for encouraging them to share...or ending their turn at the art easel or the swing...or helping them to use the bathroom when they "don't have to"...), one of their main tactics of expression is to sit down and throw off their shoes.

-the above action (of taking off their shoes) only introduces a new struggle: they must wear their shoes at child care.

-so i get to pick another battle. except i can't really pick this one. so i just pick my approach carefully. sometimes butting head-on with a two-year-old only encourages their head-butting (figuratively, of course).

-enter the shoe-sneak approach. pick up the child, and their shoes. sit with them calmly (as calmy as possible in a room containing 9 two-year-olds and one adult, which is actually more than you might expect), and explain that they may either wear their shoes and get down to play, or not wear their shoes and remain in your arms (where not-very-much cuddling is going on, by the way). they will very emphatically proclaim that they don't want to wear their shoes. so you go about your business, quietly, with that child on your hip. you rescue toys and heads and you play with other children and generally ignore that one. this is a sneak approach, remember. after a while, you sit back down, and while talking to another child, you put those shoes back on. then you walk around some more until that absolutely-no-shoes child has forgotten that she is now wearing shoes, and you "inadvertently" set her down as you wander the room. and maybe, just maybe, she will look around a little dazedly and toddle off to occupy herself...with her shoes on. win.

-and lest you think that the two-year-old actually won, remember that bit about not encouraging their head-butting. 

that's my lesson for today, at least. more to come, tomorrow.

[and fyi: i like it, peeps. at one point today, four of them were surrounding me and taking turns giving me hugs and each protesting that, "no, she's my miss emily!!!" and yes. two-year-olds always use that many exclamation points.]