problem child

My child is strong. She is opinionated. She is passionate. She is inquisitive. She is teachable. She is excitable. She is beautiful.

You know what my child is not? A problem.

I understand your desire to only have passive, quiet children who are content to spend the day reading (staring at... our children are not even two) a book quietly for the better part of the day. I truly do. However, if every child acted like this I'm fairly certain our society would collapse.

You see, I too was an active child. I had an imagination that roamed far and wide whether I was asleep or awake. I loved to learn knew things which oddly enough did not cross over into my formal education experience until college. I too was misunderstood as I danced outside of the realm of average, unaware of my labeled "shortcomings."  So I watch my daughter and mourn for the trials she will face in "standard" classrooms that will in no way address her unique qualities.

Do you see what I did there? "Unique qualities." Learn that phrase, study it, memorize it. This phrase should be employed when referring to my child for she is unique. She is unlike any other (almost) two year old you will ever meet. She is not superior or inferior. She is perfectly my daughter. There has never been nor will there every be another. She sits squarely and perfectly in the space created for her. I applaud that.

I spend my energy encouraging, molding, shaping, trimming, replacing, building the person she is. I am proud that she is not a shrinking violet. I set lofty expectations for her, not because I am "a stern mother." (<- awesome="" because="" capable.="" font="" for="" fully="" guilt="" her="" i="" is="" know="" nbsp="" set="" she="" thanks="" that="" them="" trip="">

So the next time you decide to spend 15 minutes of my (very short and extremely precious) time with my daughter (picking up from daycare) telling me how she is "exhausting, defiant, too active, does not play well with the other children, or has a problem with authority," please be prepared for rebuttal. (SHE IS TWO YEARS OLD!!!!!!!)

My child is not a problem, she is "beautifully and wonderfully made." and I will make no bones about defending her right to be just that. One day, many years from now when she has succeeded at whatever it is she decides to do with her life, I will not remember you, I will not remind her of this, I will simply smile at the years of love, praise, encouragement and structure that I poured into my child.