So far the 3s have been a bit of a mixed bag. Many parents have shared with me that the treacherous 3s are much more difficult than the terrible 2s. Fortunately the terrible 2s weren't so terrible for us but we weren't sure and still aren't sure what to expect at age 3. Now that we are one month in, I'll have to say that there were a couple weeks when the tantrums were getting more frequent and M's behavior was a bit more defiant. At the same time, M had just begun preschool and we were a bit off our routine so it was probably a little bit of everything working together.
With that being said, the past couple weeks have been glorious! M has truly turned into a big girl-- mostly in a really good way. She has fully adjusted to preschool and fills me in on the friends she meets and the activities she participates in during the day. It requires a bit of probing, though, but she is definitely taking in everything. M has always been pretty social and developmentally on target in every domain, so we were sure she would be ready for preschool and we were eager to see how she would do. Overall, she is doing well. We were a bit worried about her not being accepted by other kids because we had noticed that some kids were not including her in activities. After talking to the teachers & director, we are learning that M is actually very social and wants to make friends but not all kids want to be friendly, and that young friendships are capricious; one minute they feel like being friendly, the next not so much. M is also learning about social norms. One thing she likes to do is touch people's faces as a way of showing affection. We all had to tell her that some kids don't like the face touching and she has to respect that. It seems like she is not doing it too much anymore. All kids are known as "friends" but that doesn't fool M. One time she said "Some of the friends are not my friends" which made me a little sad but in reality, isn't that how it is in real life? I was surprised that she was able to understand that.
One of her teachers, Ms. Anh, said "Makayla is so funny she makes my day." What a great thing for a parent to hear! During pick up, Ms. Anh used to greet me every day with "I have a funny story to tell you..." One time she shared with me that M was chasing another girl. When Ms. Anh told her to stop chasing, M responded "But I just want to love her!" Another time M watched a little boy use the potty standing up. When it was her turn, she pulled down her clothes and peed on the ground standing up. Too funny!
This past weekend, M had her 3 year well check and 2nd dentist appointment. Both were successful. The night before, I mentioned to her that we would be going and she said "I'm so excited!" That morning before going to the doctor's, she said "I don't want to get a shot." and "It's Lukey's turn, not my turn." But she did so well during the appointment and didn't even cry during the shot. At the dentist's office, she didn't even show any resistance. Completely different from her first trip to the dentist when the dentist had trouble just prying open her mouth to get a good look.
Another significant moment we had this past weekend was checking her in at Mariner's Church for the first time. I was a little skeptical since she had never been dropped off at a foreign place with strangers before. However, she was completely fine and even super excited to go to "Sunday" school. I am so proud of what a big girl she's become!
