Toddlers as a Microscope.

I babysit a little 16-month-old bundle of toddler every now and then.
She's cute.
She's little.
She's quick.

I've worked with children for most of my working-life: I had lots of opportunities through practicums and assignments for school as I worked toward my Bachelor's in Elementary Education...and I worked part-time at daycares and after-school cares the whole way through. I thought I'd developed a fair bit of patience with kids, especially because some of those experiences were with some kids with extremely destructive behaviours. I think I was bordering on cocky.

Well, I've realized I actually have NO patience. Or at least a LOT less than I originally thought.

I've realized this gradually as I've chased this perfectly innocent, but perfectly busy toddler around my teeny not-really-baby-proofed apartment, in between tending to the needs of an increasingly loud little 4-and-a-half month old baby. It all came to a head as I turned around in the middle of unloading the dishwasher to find the little squirt licking as many clean spoons as she could before I leapt back over to the dishwasher. Then, just right exasperated, I exclaimed "What are you trying to do, kid!? Show me how imperfect I am!!??"

She cocked her head a little...and said , "hi."
Then she leaned her head against my leg and gave me a few little pats on the calf as if to say, "it's okay."

I'm pretty sure this little toddler was sent to magnify just a few of the many weaknesses I still need to keep working on, so I couldn't claim blissful ignorance any longer.

...But I guess I don't mind.