the sweetest boy

Upon becoming mother to a son, I started to pay loads of attention to gentle and patient parenting articles. All I could remember from working at a daycare was the many feisty and fiery little boys who liked to fight and throw balls and wrestle. The saying "boys will be boys," played over and over again throughout the first year (and continues to do so). One of my hopes for my child has always been to treat them with with patience and respect, with hopes that they would learn that same patience and respect. Odin is only 20 months, but I feel like he is the sweetest boy and will continue to grow into an even sweeter boy. I'm definitely not saying that things are easy. He throws fits. Sometimes, he drops to the ground when things aren't going the way he thinks they should and he cries. He acts as any other toddler would, but only for a small portion of the time. For a large majority of the time he is sharing toys with strangers. Smiling and waving hello to each car that passes by while we sit outside. He kisses sticks and flowers and any animal he meets. He gives so many running hugs a day that I lose track of just how many. Recently he's grown attached to my dolls and that love has stemmed to loving other baby dolls. The way he wears his babies in the sling is a direct reflection of the way we wear him. We're wearing him a lot less now, but it's so beautiful that he remembers the kisses and the cuddles and the gentle hand grazes on the back of his neck. I can see his memories in the way he treats his dolls and it's truly beautiful.

I've convinced myself that if I continue to love Odin and practice as much patience as I possibly can (there are days where it's near impossible), that he'll continue to reflect these values and react with patience to situations that he may find frustrating.