Why Parents of Two-Year-Olds Drink After Bedtime

Before I had a child I really considered myself a patient person, but Harper brings me to the end of my rope so quickly. . . and usually laughs about it, making me fear that we are raising a psychopath. I have been told that this is typical two-year-old behavior, if that's the case, three can't get here fast enough.

Harper and I actually had a very nice day today. We had accumulated books and videos from three different area libraries and made the rounds to return them. We lingered at the library with the guinea pig and then picked some new books. When we got home Harper actually sat still and we read all ten library books, without interruption, which I believe is a new record.


After dinner tonight we settled down to a new game called Lucky Ducks. I purchased this game months and months ago (I know it was before Easter), when I found it on clearance at Target for $6, but we only gave it to Harper on Monday. There are some serious flaws with this game: the motor is loud, it quacks incessantly when you play, the pieces don't fit back in the box well, and there is a four pointed shape which is supposed to be a star. While the shape is sort of star-ish, I am really surprised they couldn't manage an actual star. If the part of the point of the game is to teach shape recognition, you'd think the creators would have been able to come up with something a little more conventional. There are only four shapes in the game, it isn't like they had to come up with two dozen. Anyway. . .

Harper is in love with this game. Today she told me she loves it because she likes ducks, they make her happy when they quack. I like it because it doesn't take long to play and is not difficult to set up. When Harper is having a short attention span day we can play it twice and I don't feel like it was a waste. It is also easy to play six or seven (or 328) times in a row. I like that kind of versatility.

Harper has a pretty good command of shapes and colors, so I don't think this game is helping her make great academic strides, but the social elements of game playing are equally important at this age. She is great at taking turns. She struggles a little in the sportsmanship department. Now I am not one who thinks that children should win every game they play, but I do think they should win sometimes. This game is very difficult to throw. As a result, Harper loses at least as often as she wins, if not more. Those lucky ducks have given us lots of opportunities to discuss being a good sport. I don't think Harper totally gets it, but something is sinking in. Tonight, while she was having a fit and trying to get back in my good graces she said, "I promise I will be a good sport," but she wasn't referring to any sort of game play.


So we had a lovely afternoon and evening and as we started to put Lucky Ducks away, the stuff hit the fan. Harper had a complete and total meltdown, which included head butting me right in the face (charming) and ended with her being put in bed without any stories read and a rather forceful shutting of her bedroom door.

Just the way I like to end my day.