Shadow Puppets
My daughter is literally afraid of her own shadow! Yes, you read that correctly, afraid of her own shadow. I had no idea that this was a possible phenomenon. That was until yesterday when Moanna was jumping in her trampoline and declared that “Something scared me!” I get up from the computer to see if there may be a bug or something remotely legitimate to be afraid of. I see nothing, so I sit back down. A minute later I hear the the same little, “Something scared me!” only this time she was clutching her fists to her chests and standing as close to the net of her trampoline as possible. Again, I get up to see what she is so afraid of. I ask her what is scaring her, and she points to the mat of the trampoline. I see nothing. “Moanna there is nothing there.” She looks at me like I’m insane and points again. I give her the same look in return. She points and says, “Mommy, something scares me!” Finally, I get it! She is scared of her shadow! Her shadow! I am shocked; it takes everything out of me not to let her see that I am fully entertained by her fear.
This is not the only thing that has made my big girl seem teeny tiny. It seems that she is going through a backwards phase of losing her desire to be independent.
She is no longer interested in feeding herself even though she has been feeding herself for almost a year now. Now she says that she can’t do it and that she wants us to feed her. She even wants us to hold her cups for her like she is a little baby drinking milk. I do not get where all of this is coming from!
At times, when she is watching a movie, she does not want to be by herself. She wants us to sit with her, and not just in the same room. She wants us to be right there next to her so that she can use us to prop her feet on us, or for us to completely hold her. I love snuggling and holding her, but the only time we really let her sit down and watch TV is if there is something that we need to get done like cooking dinner or folding laundry. Well, yes, we let her watch TV sometimes so that we can just breathe and have a little time to decompress.
She has also decided that she “can’t” do things that she is a pro at. We would rather her use every four letter word in the English, Spanish and French languages than use the phrase, “I can’t do it.” I used to make my dance students do push-ups for that kind of offense! Don’t worry it did not scar them, and some of them are spending the summer at very prestigious dance camps. It burns me up that she thinks she can’t do something. She “can’t” carry her water cup, she “can’t” feed herself, she “can’t” find her shoes. I “can’t” stand it!
Part of me really eats up the fact that she wants me hold her and protect her from her own shadow. It makes me melt a little because I know she is growing so fast. Soon she will want boys to watch TV with her, and she will want us no where to be seen! Steve just started hyperventilating, and searching for padlocks to secure all windows and doors with the mention of boys, Moanna and TV all in the same sentence. Another part of me has no idea what do with a two year old infant! I am sure everyone will say it is a normal part of growing up (Hey, I still go through phases like that! Sometimes I’d rather sleep all day then be a responsible adult), and that it will pass soon. Still, I’m wondering if there is anything that Steve or I have done that could have brought this on. Maybe, she picks up on the fact that we want to have another baby soon, so she is trying to get all of the butlering out of us that she possibly can! Interesting…
P.S.
She is also currently afraid of imaginary snakes in her crib, black cats, wind blowing the curtains, and did I mention her own shadow?
