Borrowing A Kid

My partner and I borrowed a kid for the weekend. Her parents went to the Red Sox/Brewers game on Saturday so she hung out with us on Saturday and Sunday. She is four.

Four is a pretty fantastic age to be and to be with. S is an amazing child, she has so much curiosity and really notices the magic in the world. I have known her since she was born and it is so interesting to watch her grow. Her stages of development are really obvious and she is now at a stage where she is really watching how people interact with each other. You can see her learning about men and women and men and women together...in a way it's scary.

One of the blessings of being an Auntie is that I get to be with lots of children in a way that is so different from what a parent experiences. The children I spend time with are always happy to be with me, they listen when I give them directions (because I don't have to do it all the time.) and in general are very well behaved. I find this is not always true when they are with their parents. I don't think this is a safety issue, all the children I spend time with have known me for most of their lives, I think it has to do with the fact that spending time with me alone is a bit of a novelty for them, and I'd like to think that they have fun with me, I'm not too demanding, and they like me.

So if you have friends who are parents, be an ally, borrow a kidfor a day!