I Want (Blank) Now.
My daughter’s new favorite words a la 22 month old is, “I want (fill in the blank) now.” She doesn’t say it in an obnoxious manner as you may imagine those words would come out. Instead it is very matter of fact twinged with a bit of sweetness, which of course is greatly emphasized by her cute little face. Regardless, the fact is, she wants something. It is as if she has begun her initiation into consumerism, the constant need to have something. It starts young. Of course, I am trying to teach her to say please. This has created a humorous debacle. So, she says, “Please, now.” Again, it does not sound rude. It sounds assertive if anything and I am sure she is confused when we laugh after she says it. How do you explain to a toddler that “please” is discounted by “now”? You don’t. Sometimes, she doesn’t even know what she wants and will say, “I want…ummm….I want….” while she tries to think of what she wants before adding the first thing she sees like a banana. Then when I offer her the banana, she says, “No.”
Today, at the pinnacle of exasperation she said, “I want I want.” Meaning: she wants to want something. Somehow, the innocence and purity of a child can teach us something about ourselves and our own inner workings. How long can we go without wanting something?
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Day in the Life | admin August 12, 2009
