The Great Toddler Experiment: A Day in the Life
My three-year-old daughter, Lily, is a force of nature. She attacks each day with boundless energy, an insatiable curiosity, and, let’s be honest, the attention span of a goldfish. One particularly chaotic morning, as I was cleaning up spilled milk (again) while simultaneously trying to convince Lily that pants were a non-negotiable part of our morning routine, a thought struck me: what if I lived a day in her shoes?
Now, I pride myself on being a relatively patient and understanding parent, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I only saw the tip of the toddler iceberg. So, fueled by equal parts curiosity and a morbid sense of humor, I decided to embark on an experiment: for 24 hours, I would live by Lily’s rules. No logic, no reasoning, just pure, unadulterated toddlerhood.
Breakfast of Champions (Or, How to Fail at Eating Cereal Like a Toddler)
My transformation began with breakfast. Gone were my usual yogurt and granola; instead, I was presented with a plate of dry cereal scattered across the table. Lily, of course, had her own bowl, but she was far more interested in meticulously picking out and consuming only the orange cereal bits. I attempted to follow suit, but apparently, I wasn’t being nearly messy enough. Cue the first meltdown (mine, not hers).
