Conversation with a three year old

 My grand daughter is at a very fun age. 

Her parents went out for a brief date night, meeting up with another couple for dinner. Date night with 'ama is pretty special too, though, and we were looking forward to our time, just as much as they were looking forward to their time. 

But by the end of the day, though, tots begin to wind down. For those of you not familiar with three year olds, when they wind down, they are prone to move quickly between laughing and having a fine time, and sobbing over some minor inconvenience as if their tiny sweet little hearts have been well and truly broken. 

'Ama tries very hard to avoid tears. 

So we did calm activities, She loves to be a helper, and so when I switched the laundry from the washer to the dryer, she helped. We took the laundry basket of clothes we had taken out of the dryer into the livingroom, and sat on the floor together sorting laundry. She looked for washcloths to fold. Without warning, she laid down on the floor and began rolling in the laundry, screaming joyously. 

I observed that she was a screaming mimi. She had never heard that term before and she sat up straight to consider it, and in the considering, decided she did NOT like being called a screaming mimi. Forthrightly, she told me this.

"Oh, no," I said. "Am I in time out?" 

Delightedly, she told me I was. Furthermore, I was required to get off the floor and go to the time out place, which is the bottom stair step. She led me tenderly down the hall, explaining about three minutes I was required to sit there. 

Once I was properly seated, she went back down the hall. For effect, I threw a fit while I was sitting there, wailing that I did not want to be in time out. Patiently she reinforced the three minute time frame. Once I was quiet, she came briskly back down the hall. to kneel in front of me. 

Sweetly, she said, "Do you understand why you are sitting here." 

I said, "Because I called you a screaming mimi." 

In a very patient and rational voice, she explained that calling people names could hurt their feelings and that we don't call people names. 

I nodded and she said, "Okay, let's hug it out," and she gave me a big hug and led me back to the laundry in the living room. 

As I folded laundry, she suddenly dropped back down on the pile and began rolling around and screaming joyfully. I laughed. She said, "Call me a screaming mimi again."

"I am not doing that! I don't want to go in time out again."

She considered this, obviously disappointed. "Weeeeeeelll," she said, "we could be-tend that you called me screaming mimi." 

"As long as we are pretending, I guess that would be okay." 

So once again, she began rolling in the laundry and screaming and I dutifully called her a screaming mimi. 

She popped up and said, "Time out for you, ama!" She led me down the hall, explaining gently that I must listen when I am told not to do something.