Gratifying AND hilarious:

[sarahmichelef]

The scene: our living room.  G (who is 5) and her mom K are about to leave after a couple hours' playdate that involved dressup (master_mr , please let your lovely wife know that the mermaid costume from almost 2 years ago still fits TRex, more or less), playing with the dollhouse, and lots of running around in the sprinkler outside.

K: OK, it's time to go home now.
G: I don't like you!  I'm going to push you away from me forEVER!*
K: If you're going to freak out, we're not going to be able to have another playdate.
G: I don't care!  I don't like you!  I'm going to run away from you!
K: Can you wait to freak out until we're in the car please?

Gratifying both because G clearly had a good time and because my kid is not the only one who freaks out at the drop of a hat.  Hilarious because G's objections were registered using EXACTLY THE SAME TONE AND INFLECTION that TRex uses when she informs us "I'm going to throw you in the trash can!" and similar things.

Comments

[childsplay7.livejournal.com]

See ... and I have an issue with the words that G used. Very cool that K stayed calm but I'm too old school to be okay with what G is saying.

[sarahbracha.livejournal.com]

hmm there have been very similar outbursts in this neck of the woods as well. 5 is SUCH an um...expressive(?)...age! Sammy has been known to "hate" us etc. I've decided that if my kids don't hate me at least once a week, I'm not doing my job as a parent and I'm becoming too much of a pushover! We do try and talk about how "hate" is a very strong word (at times very much removed from th tantrum so as to avoid the aforementioned "winding-up" effect), but with an age-limited vocabulary - further diminshed by the spazz-attack in progress, things get reduced to very elemental feelings. When he's older we'll deal with language - right now I think its more important that he knows who's in charge and that the "management" loves him even if he 's not too fond of us at the moment. (haven't we all had that random "I love you, I just don't like you all that much right now" moment?)