It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a toddler thinks very differently to an adult. They do have a very young brain, after all. I’ve collected a series of how my little boy has a very different approach to life than me. Sometimes I have to say that his way is probably the more creative and fun perspective.
1. WATER
Adult: This water is for drinking. Here’s a cup of water. Now drink it.
Toddler: Oooo. Water. This is fun for pouring. Let’s pour it all over my table and make a big mess.
2. PLAY DOUGH
Adult: This playdough is going to keep you busy while I get the food done.
Toddler: I am going to need help with my playdough every 10 seconds or so. I am going to grunt that I can’t roll it. My cookie cutter dropped on the floor and I need help finding it. I want to balance my cars on it and this car fell off and please help me put it back in this awkward position. Then when it falls again please help me get it back.
3. PACKING AWAY
Adult: Please pack the toys away that are lying on the floor.
Toddler: I think it would be much more fun to put the toys all over the couch, on chairs everywhere and in the bath. I think they make nice decorations.
4. BATH TIME
Adult: Bath time is to get clean.
Toddler: Bath time is to throw water. Drink water. Throw toys. Does it still count as bath time if I’ve spent most of the time out of the bath throwing my bath toys in, then going in and throwing them out again?
5. MEAL TIME
Adult: Food time is to eat food.
Toddler: Food is optional. I’ll eat when I’m hungry and most of the time that is not going to be at meal times. I way prefer cookies to food. Don’t worry mom, my food won’t go to waste. The dogs will get nice and fat.
all so true and what iam dealing with daily 😉
Oh this made me giggle. Who said parenting was easy? 🙂
“Forget about making food, Mom. I’ll just eat the playdough.”
bwahaha you’re good
Such a cute post
Haha!! Number 5 is probably the one that we struggle the most with. Or when they get down and decide 30 minutes later that they are really super hungry…..we are attempting to have strict meal and snack times to help with this, but sometimes it is a struggle.
yes I think at this age you can’t be too rigid. Nicky often likes to go off and come back to his food.. not ideal but it works for us…
We’re only just entering toddler-hood, but yes!! Especially the bath and food part. I can only imagine how it goes downhill from here. haha!
glad I’m not the only one!
And then there’s sleep time – who said night time is for rest? I’d better make sure that mum keeps me entertained every single moment or I’ll scream and wake up the neighbours 🙂
You nailed it! Very funny…thanks for the insight. We have 4 so I can relate all too well.
-Kim
🙂 Thanks for starting my day with a smile. Spot on
Mine also thought that everything on the floor belonged in their mouth. Running around after toddlers is great exercise. 🙂
I think so too!
Lovely! And nice to hear it from the toddler’s perspective for once! 🙂
So true from my observation of the kiddos around me.
I laughed at loud when I read about the playdough! That is so true. Here we think we are going to get a few minutes to get things done by giving out playdough to keep THEM busy, but all it does is frustrate us because they need our help so much. Totally what happens here with my 3 year old!
good to know I’m not the only one…
How true!! I can agree and laugh with each one of these. They don’t change when they get older…they keep thinking the same way through the teenage years!! 🙂
My mother used to write down the things I said as a toddler–and I wish I’d done the same with my kids. I think I was too busy trying to keep up with them. Their brains and experience of the world are marvelous when they are not exhausting! Fun post.
my mom did too and blogging is my way of doing this…
Yep! Took my dog to the vet a few weeks ago and he’s gained 2 pounds (a lot for him) since my baby became a toddler.
haha they are the clean up crew…
Great description of toddler philosophy. Toddlers are great, but sometimes you just have to hang on to your seat with both hands and go along for the ride!
So true!! My three year old twins are like this so much of the time and so is my five year old! It sure makes life adventurous doesn’t it?
Yes, my toddler would certainly agree with yours…especially at bath time, when he takes a bath the whole bathroom is soaked including whoever gives him a bath…usually his daddy, I know better!
I am laughing out load!!! That is so cute!!
Ha! Ha! That was great! Yes, I see my grandson (3yo) in a lot of those toddler responses. It tickles me when I see him do something and then try to think of what his perspective about the situation is. When I was a mother of young children, I think I may have been a little more frustrated when they did some of the things they did. Now, as a grandmother, I try to think about things from the child’s point-of-view. It’s so entertaining!
So funny! Could totally relate. I especially loved the part about needing help with the play dough every 10 seconds. So true and priceless!
Hahahaha! I love it! It’s exactly what I’m going through right now with my tots! 🙂
That’s so funny and so true! At my house, play dough is for eating too. That’s why we need to make edible play dough and they are full by the time dinner is ready. Life with a toddler! 🙂
haha! Hilarious! i was laughing while reading this because I can so so so relate! 🙂
Hah! Thanks for the laugh, this is my life right now and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
This list is so true. I was laughing the whole time reading it. Especially the post about water and food. Bath time is always messy in our house.
Ha- so true 🙂 But seriously, it is hard to remember sometimes that their brains are not yet wired like ours, and that in some ways they are like visitors from a different planet learning the ways of ours :).
That’s exactly it! They are wired differently.
Right. Kids sure do have a mind of their own and a way of seeing things. But so much fun to watch them learn and grow and discover isn’t it?
I am not a mom, kids are not my thing but your post made me laugh – that is exactly how little ones think isn’t it? You can imagine the child thinking exactly those things – their outlook on life is so much more creative and positive that ours. who needs to tidy? Who needs water IN the bowl 🙂
Although its a challenge, I know that Mum’s must smile and love their kids even though it makes each day just that little bit tougher.
These are totally adorable, thank you for sharing this!
And, spot on, great job!
I don’t have kids, but I can imagine what it must be like. I have 4 dogs instead and the communication break down is with “let’s go potty.”
To me, it means I’ll open the door and they’ll go outside and do their business; to them, they’ll go outside, then come right back in, then return to the door to be let outside, only to come right back in again. Repeat for as long as I’ll tolerate it.
That’s hilarious. We have some fun times getting our dogs to pee as well. It’s a bit of a ritual with Nicky going out with them as well and sometimes they don’t want to pee…
This cracked me up! Yep, I have a toddler. Just today my daughter was filling her teapot with water from the refrigerator and carrying it to her kitchen. Pouring it into each and every open container. It was hilarious to watch.
I needed that chuckle! All too familiar, since we have 3 children. Although, mine are past the toddler stage.
With each passing year, I try to recapture the wonder that a preschooler experiences every day. Not only is it much more fun, it forces me to stop and appreciate the small things that we take for granted with age; becoming child-like is no longer an insult!
Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
Kids are so funny. I love their perspective on life. This is such a cute post thank you for sharing.
This post has strangely made me look forward to motherhood (whenever it happens)! Though it’s definitely very challenging, I can’t wait to have one of my own to observe and compare his/her outlook and attitude toward life to mine. But first I think I should work on my own preference for cookies over real food, haha!
Glad I’m not the only one with a biscuit addiction!
I have enjoyed reading your post!! and I can relate 100% I have a 2 year old daughter lol
Oh, to be a toddler again! Reading this made me smile because you really hit the nail on the head!
Kids nowadays are so bright and out-of-the-box thinkers, which makes us all Moms smile even if their version is always to be messy everywhere.
LOL, this really reminded me of my granddaughter when I was reading it. She fits many of these things.
As a mom to a three year old, I can relate to all of these! Kids are so in touch with their creative side and knowing what they truly want! Us adults could learn something from them! 🙂
This really made me laugh. So true – and I have to say the thinking hasn’t changed much now my youngest is 6
You captured it perfectly! So funny and yet so frustrating all at the same time! 🙂
I can so relate to all of these….sigh. My kids are constantly calling me in the bathroom at bath time, because one of them looked at the other, took their rag, etc. Lol.
Oh my! One day, this is what I get to look forward to! LOL!
hahahah.. Totally agree. I have twins age 3.
So true and it’s always better when we can laugh in these situations. Kids have their own way of doing things and thinking.
Here is one that I would like to add: NAPS
Adult: Wow, I would love to just lay down and take a nap!
Toddler: Nap time is a time for singing, talking, dancing around, exploring, and doing pretty much anything else besides sleeping!
Oh yes! How could I forget that one!
I could not agree with you more. This post made me chuckle and brought back memories. Thanks for sharing!
hehe… when I first saw the title, I was thinking this was some long educational piece… I just loved the little snippets of your thoughts and what your toddler is doing! Great!
Glad you liked it! I can do long educational pieces as well by the way!