I wanna grow up to be a button pusher, like mom!
By Christina Rainey,
Oregon Writer
Kids are so funny. My toddler, Lauren, told me she wants be a mommy so she can, “Push buttons.” I guess that what she thinks I do all day: paying for food, using the ATM, typing on the computer, using the remote, etc. I’m a button pusher. I think it’s only natural for her to want to join in on the fun. Pushing buttons looks mysterious and exciting. Sometimes I have to remind her that mommy is the one that pushes the buttons. She finds this frustrating.
It’s only natural to want to mimic everything that you see your parents doing. Everything we do looks very grown up and adult-like. Whether it’s helping out with the chores or preparing dinner, she wants to be a helper.
Lauren loves to spend time outside and “help.” She doesn’t so much help as just wants to use whatever tool I’m using as it looks amusing. Lauren’s best friend, Connor, came to visit and I put my “little helpers” to work. I got out the shovels, buckets, rakes, and anything else that resembled a gardening tool. They took their responsibility very seriously. Fortunately, for me we had at least two of every kind of bucket, shovel and other tools so there weren’t any major disagreements. What I found interesting is that from time to time, they argued about the color of the bucket and they would offer up trades to each other.
Besides finding a new way to pass the time with two toddlers, I found it interesting watching the two of them working together. They never argued about the size of the bucket or shovel. The little red bucket was quite popular and the green shovel was a hot commodity
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