Jonah has been quite the story teller lately. His favorite --especially during meals -- is to tell stories where he is the main hero who commits all types of violent acts he can think of... usually against .... drum roll, please... none other than me. Mind you, we don't ever use violence to discipline him and we don't have a television, though he does sometimes watch cartoons on the computer. Could they be the culprits or is this just a natural tendency to channel in-born aggression and fear?
So, yes, I am most often the lucky recipient of his imaginary aggressive attacks. He sprays me with his fireman hose, chops me with his ax, drops me down off a mountain into water... But all this is said for pure and innocent-seeming amusement. No malicious grin or thirst for vengeance.
My friends who are parents of toddlers tell me this is normal. My dad says channeling his aggression into stories is healthy. I believe them. I do feel privileged to figure so prominently in his stories, but do I like to be, albeit virtually, bruised and abused by my shrimp-sized son?
For your enjoyment, and to illustrate, I transcribed one of his breakfast tales today. Notice that when he runs out of violent verbs, he invents his own.
Jonah: "I'm gonna dash you. I'm gonna rake you (makes a raking motion in the air): rake, rake, rake. And then I smash you and water splashed all over you and poured all over you and dripped. Then you fell into a hole and got lost and I pulled you out and threw you into a garbage truck and crushed you. I'm gonna throw a dragonfly at you and splash bubbles at your eyes. You don't like water poured on your eyes?"
me: "Not too much."
Jonah: "I'm gonna pour water on your eyes (making a pouring motion): wag, wag, wag. When a hamburger fall on you, it say: 'Oomlet.' It pokes you in your eyes. And then you'll fall down under the tunnel and go fall in water and then you splash at me. I splashed back at you at your head.
"Mom, I wanna 'gorp' you: gorp, gorp. I'm gonna crush you. Crush your mouth. I 'trushed' you."
He smiles sweetly and we hug and nuzzle.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Woah. Woah, for a variety of reasons.
1) That can't be easy to hear. Can't be easy to hear coming from your toddler. Can't be easy to hear directed at you. (Glad to hear it's normal.)
2) Why does he have this stuff in his head? The answer that seems to work for me is past life residue (though I know most Westerners scoff at the idea).
3) Woah, he's a very talented wordsmith. Cool!
When I look back at the stuff my mom saved from when I was just first learning to write, it seems terribly psychotic. All about the killing and hurting and maiming. Very disturbing.
But for what it's worth, look at me now. I wouldn't gorp a fly.
Post a Comment