A mighty voice is developing

I was getting my son ready for daycare the other day when I made a shocking discovery.

I rooted around in the shirt drawer of his dresser and pulled out one of my favorites.

“No,” came a little voice from the changing table.

I looked at him quizzically.

“No what, baby?” I asked.

“No blue shirt,” he replied.

I looked down at the garment in my hand. It was light blue with three raccoons on it and said “Little Rascal Gang.” It was just the cutest, but I guess this day it didn’t make the cut.

“OK, then,” I said. “What about the dinosaur shirt?”

“Dinonaurs,” he said.

I took a step toward him.

“No dinonaurs!” he wailed.

“Oh, OK,” I said. “What about trucks?”

“Trucks,” he said.

I was fairly certain we had a winner.

“No trucks!” he cried.

“You just picked this one!” I said, growing frustrated. “Why did you tell me you wanted this one when you didn’t want it?”

Then I realized I just asked a 14-word question of a 2-year-old. I might as well have asked him to solve a Rubik’s cube.

I opted to go back to my original choice. If he was going to fuss, he should look cute doing it.

Yes, my toddler recently discovered his independence, but he still doesn’t know what to do with it.

If I try to give him a bite off my plate, he cries because he didn’t get to lift the fork. When he throws the dog’s toy and our shepherd gives chase, he cries because now it’s “my ball.” When I bring up the laundry, no fewer than three crying fits occur — one when I abandon him to go to the basement, one when I bring up the basket and don’t allow him to dump the clothes everywhere and one when I want to put the clothes away and he doesn’t get to do it.

Then there’s the negotiation to get into the car in the morning, to come inside and not shovel the clean driveway when we get home and to get in — and then out of — the bathtub.

Yes, every day I have to put on my parenting helmet and weather the Terrible Two storms. At the same time, however, it’s amazing to see his personality develop, and I’m sure he’ll be an amazing, confident man — who will pick his own shirts like a boss.

— Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at (616) 546-4278 or sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com.