Small reminders

As Brendan is getting older it's amazing how much he takes in while observing our daily life.  It's amazing and scary at the same time.  We really have to watch how we act, react and what we say...we've been saying that, but now it's really true!

Brendan has observed chores for awhile now and without any prompting he jumps right in to help.  My little helper gladly picks crumbs off the floor and puts them in the garbage and he helps unload the dishwasher!  Yes, the dishwasher!  He picks up plates and silverware and actually hands them to me so I can put them away.  It's probably the cutest thing ever and makes me smile every time.  I actually look forward to emptying the dishwasher now, because it makes him so pleased to be helping me.

All of this observing and mimicking has a downside too, as I sadly found out.  Brendan was extra cranky a few nights ago and I had dinner dishes to clean up and food to put away.  Brendan kept bringing his toys into the kitchen and leaving them there.  I then kept tripping on the toys and stubbing my toes.  It was the end of the day and was getting extra cranky by the minute.  I slid on yet another toy and lost it (poor reaction #1), and Brendan chose that moment to throw another tantrum (a kicking, back arching, head banging into the floor tantrum), so I really lost it and started taking his toys and throwing them back into the living room (poor reaction #2).  Yes, I actually threw his toys, all the while Brendan carefully observing my very own tantrum.  No more than 30 seconds later, Brendan started picking up his toys and throwing them into the living room too.  That's when it REALLY hit me that he really does watch and pick up on EVERYTHING we do.  I felt awful, to say the least, about the poor example I had just set for my son.  So I sat down against the fridge and cried a little and my little observer came up to me, put his arm around my neck and patted my shoulder (his new thing when hugging us, he now pats our backs).  Which of course made me feel a million times better because obviously he'd observed us doing that to each other and to him before.  My almost 16 month old son was comforting ME.  Needless to say, I've really been watching how I react to everyday situations, trying my best to set a good example for Brendan, all it took was one small reminder.