I was recently catching up with a friend who has a two-year-old daughter. During our conversation, I shared how my little one had developed a peculiar habit of sucking milk from her sippy cup, spitting it onto the table, and then slurping it up like it was some gourmet dish.
“I have no idea where she picked that up, but it’s super annoying, and we’re trying to put a stop to it. You know how toddlers can be, right?”
My friend pursed her lips, lowered her chin, and replied, “That’s strange! My kid would never do anything like that.”
She said it as if she was proud to have a perfectly “normal” child, while my kid was somehow less civilized. It’s possible she hasn’t experienced the full spectrum of toddler antics, or perhaps she has just one child, while my toddler is the youngest of three. The truth is, every child behaves in quirky ways, and it’s unrealistic to act superior as if your child’s behavior is always pristine while others are chaotic.
Let’s Face It: Kids Are Weird
Yours, mine, every child out there. They do bizarre things that catch us completely off guard. When I embarked on this parenting journey a decade ago, I never imagined I’d spend most of my time negotiating basic hygiene practices. I’ve had to time my kids to ensure they brush their teeth properly. I’ve sniffed socks and underwear to confirm they were indeed changed, often baffled by why anyone would lie about such things. Just the other night, as my son turned his nose up to a deliciously baked cod, I remarked, “For someone who eats their own boogers, you sure are picky about your meals.”
“Boogers are good,” he retorted, eyeing the cod like it was something that belonged in the trash.
Kids choose the most inconvenient times to poop or pee. They’ll munch on random things found in stores. I’ve had to wrestle cat poop out of a toddler’s mouth before. I’ve heard stories from other parents about their kids eating cat food or using their diapers to create “art” on the walls.
All of this gross behavior is completely normal. So let’s get one thing straight: children do strange things. Just because your child isn’t spitting milk off the table doesn’t mean they aren’t doing something equally odd that’ll leave you questioning your parenting skills.
Support Each Other in Parenting
If you find yourself chatting with another parent who shares a bizarre tale about their child, resist the urge to act like your kid is the golden child. If your child isn’t doing something weird, then maybe it’s time to reassess. You might just be the one with an unusually well-behaved child, while the rest of us are navigating the chaos of normal kid behavior.
We need to support each other in this journey called parenting. At the end of the day, we all want what’s best for our kids. We are striving to raise them to be decent individuals with meaningful goals. We hope they’ll grow up to be capable, independent adults who can handle basic hygiene without needing a reminder.
My toddler slurping milk off the table won’t derail those aspirations. However, getting to the point where they stop these odd behaviors requires patience, stress, and sometimes, a good amount of head-scratching as you wonder how your child who once wore shoes on their hands and gloves on their feet came from your gene pool.
Embrace the Quirks of Childhood
In short, we’re all in this together. So be supportive, be a community. When another parent confides in you about their child’s quirky behavior, acknowledge it and say, “I get it. My kids have their weird moments too.”
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In summary, embrace the quirks of childhood. We’re all navigating this wild ride of parenthood together, and every child’s odd behavior is just part of the journey.