There is a certain kind of bone-deep weariness that I’m convinved only the parents of toddlers know, particularly who has reached or is verging upon the completion of his/her second year, as our son is. Today was one of those days when you can’t help but reach previously unplumbed depths of physical, mental, emotional utter fatigue. It was one of those days when we all needed to take a nap. (And we all did.)
I just have to keep reminding myself that it’s as frustrating for our son as it is for us sometimes, perhaps even moreso. From his perspective, he’s in this big world that he doesn’t fully know or understand. He’s got two people who do a good job of protecting him and caring for him, but his wants and needs are growing more complicated and he doesn’t quite have all the words to tell us yet. So, we have to guess, and sometimes we guess wrong. That is, when there is something to guess, and it’s not one of those times when we don’t know what he wants and neither does he. And then sometimes he doesn’t want anything other than to express his frustration at not being able to be as independent as he wants to be just yet.
I know that someday, probably sooner than I think, I’ll look back on these days with a feeling of nostalgia. But right now, I’m just dead tired.