Being a mom is reminding me what it was like to be a kid.
Today was Neko’s turn to be the “star” in preschool. (I think it’s really some other term that’s more PC, but that’s what she’s calling it, so I’m going to run with it.) This involves providing snack for the day, bringing in an item for “share bag”, and being the helper during the class time. I casually mentioned to Neko last week that it was her turn today, and she’s been beside herself with excitement ever since.
We’ve been talking about what snack we’ll bring, and how she has to provide clues for the sharing item. I thought we had everything nailed down, but this morning, 15 minutes before we had to get out the door, she had a meltdown. OVER HER HAIR, PEOPLE. Yes, I expected this in her teens. Even her pre-teens, but she’s FOUR.
She came in with one hairband and asked me for pigtails. But just one pigtail. I tried as hard as I could, but her hair is just too short for a ponytail. When I explained this, she had a complete meltdown. In between the wails of agony, I gave her two choices: pigtails or a barrette. This is all I can do. When she pulled it together, we tried the two pigtails, but she declared them too scratchy. We tried the barrette option, but we could only find the plain grey ones. The kid has not given two hoots about her hair since the day she was born, but today? Mission critical.
Ultimately, we decided that she would go sans hair accessories. I finally got her out the door and to school only five minutes late, but it made me remember that these things that seem small to us are so big in her world. She knew she would be center stage, and she wanted it to be perfect. Perfect snack. Perfect share item. Perfect hair.
I, um, have no idea where she gets these tendencies.