Friday, April 20, 2007

The Violent Unicorns

Why does my daughter take two fluffy white unicorns and make them fight, squeal, and run away from fire, danger and each other? Why did she say, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Noooooooooo...they killed themselves!!" Why do they have to "wun and wun and gally-up and gally-up away from the fire"? (that one I know the answer to, it's more Bambi inspired play).


The easy answer is sugar...we made cupcakes and homemade raspberry frosting. The not so easy answer is that she is quite traumatized these days. One of the toughest things for a child is to have a new sibling. Especially when said sibling gets old enough to crawl around and steal one's things and eat one's animals. I try to imagine what it must be like for her right now. Let's look at the list:

1) She's living in a new house.

2) Her daddy, who was her primary caretaker, isn't around on a regular basis, although we try to visit him every weekend.

3) Her new brother is stealing all the attention.

4) She has to share her beloved Gwammy (also her primary caretaker) with her brother and her Boppa. Now that we're living with Gwammy and Boppa, she always wants Gwammy all to herself...she doesn't always get it.

5) Oh yeah, and she a paranoid, neurotic, upset, loud, fiesty two-year-old red head.


You know when it comes right down to it, I wonder if having a new brother is like being cheated on? Think about it...she had all the attention and thought that being a child was a monogomous thing, then, along comes an interloper. The interloper steals all the love...he's cute and cuddly...well, if she's anything like her mother, she would get super jealous...maybe this is jealousy? Poor, poor baby girl.


4 comments:

Elisa said...

I never thought about it that way but I'm sure you've got a point.

Maybe that's why my almost 3 year old is happily still wearing pull ups. Ugh. I often feel like it's my fault though for not reminding her more but then I think if i have to take her to the potty every 10 minutes who is really being trained?

Tess said...

I was just wondering whether it was a manifestation of Ben's boy-ness that he was making his dinosaurs fight each other.... But it seems to be general preschool-ness....

Poor Bambi. :(

And Laney is certainly going through a lot of changes these days....

Lorraine said...

I feel for you! I see that stage coming for us - up until now, Oliver has been a sweet helpless little guy, and Amelia could not love him more. Suddenly over last weekend he started sitting up (to much applause - uh oh, jealousy!) and grabbing toys away from her (uh oh #2) and being interested in all her old baby toys. I can see things may go downhill....

Lisa said...

I hear that. Just remind yourself that although it may be like being cheated on at first, they will become best friends soon enough - at least that's what I'm hoping. That (probably) wouldn't happen in the case of an "other man/woman". Hang in there!