Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash
Toddlers are fascinating humans.
My daughter turned four a few weeks ago, so I bought her a booster because she is over forty pounds.
She was all excited when I picked her up from daycare to know she was a big girl. As we drove to the grocery store to get dinner, she was happy, excited, and proud to be in a new seat.
When we got to the grocery store, all of that changed in a split second.
She had a complete meltdown in the middle of the parking lot because she had no car seat.
So I let her cry it out for about ten minutes until she asked for a hug and was ready to go into the grocery store.It was a beautiful thing to witness as a father because I asked her how she was feeling the entire time. It was also very challenging for me as I sat there and watched other people stare at me.
Transitions in life are challenging as an adult, and it’s no surprise as to why toddlers have fits when their life seems a bit different.
We are creatures of habit. Even if we welcome change, it is never an easy thing to process.
From career changes, becoming a parent, the loss of a loved one, and relationship challenges, all of these transitions in life require energy.
Most of the time, we have trouble processing change because we are overwhelmed by the unknown.
But each time we go through a challenging transition, we are learning as is my toddler to be flexible in life and realize that nothing lasts forever.
If you find yourself in a difficult transition, ask yourself what you can learn in the process of change?
Toddler fits used to be an embarrassing thing for me, these days, I get curious as to why she is feeling what she is going through, and offer as much as love and support I can. Of course, some require more guidance than others, but I don’t fight the fits anymore.
Maybe that is the same thing we need to do as humans, go with the flow and let life take us where it wants.
-George