Learning as we go

For the first, oh, 23 months of Louisa's life, I was very convinced that everyone who said parenting was hard was being dramatic. It wasn't hard at all! Different than being single or married without kids, yes. But hard? No.

Well, now I see what they're talking about. Something about having a two year old or two kids has made things incredibly hard. So hard that I find myself yelling at least once per day. Most often, "it is TIME to go to SLEEP!" or "PLEASE do not GRAB things, Lou!" Last week I told Nelly, our amazing nanny, that she saved Louisa's life. She arrived, carrying a huge load of patience when mine was absolutely depleted. I had been trying to get Lou to stay in bed for her nap and she was NOT taking me seriously. Without the pack n' play, I have no way to make her stay in bed. Our "bedtime rules" don't seem important enough for Louisa, nor the star stickers cool enough. I'm open to suggestions as to how to make bedtime more peaceful! For now, I'm trying to learn about Lou and what motivates and drives her.

At MOPS this week, my table's mentor mom gave out charts from The Child Whisperer that outline personality types for kids. I had never really thought about trying to categorize Louisa, but the minute I read the 4 types, I knew exactly what she was and I was surprised. Here it is:

The Fun Loving Child (Type 1)
Primary connection to the world: social
Primary movement: bouncy and random
Primary need: have fun, happy parents
Described as: friendly, bright, light-hearted
Judged as: flighty, hyperactive, unreliable

I was surprised because neither Nate nor I are that type at all. I'm definitely sensitive and Nate is definitely serious.

The Sensitive Child (Type 2) ME
Primary connection to the world: emotional
Primary movement: subtle and thoughtful
Primary need: feelings heard, connected to family
Described as: gentle, tender, mindful
Judged as: shy, wimpy, hypersensitive


The More Serious Child (Type 4) NATE
Primary connection to the world: intellectual
Primary movement: straightforward and exact
Primary need: respect, given and received
Described as: efficient, analytical, thorough
Judged as: critical, know-it-all

Another reason that I was surprised at Lou's type is that she is just recently becoming this type. When she was younger, I think I would have said she was sensitive. But now, as she enters a stage where more behaviors need to be corrected, her confidence is evident and she can communicate better, I'm learning more about her (and parenting) each day. Although Cora is already 6 months old, which is just crazy to me, she's too young to categorize just yet. I'll get back to you once her type becomes more obvious. Maybe she'll round out the group and be the last one, type 3:

The Determined Child (Type 3)
Primary connection to the world: physical
Primary movement: active and determined
Primary need: new experiences, with parents' support
Described as: busy, persistent, energetic
Judged as: pushy, demanding, loud


I'll also get back to you about what I'm supposed to do once I know my kids' types...

To close, two pictures from our Happy Hollow Park & Zoo visit today:

Cora's first carrousel ride

Looking more sensitive here, huh?