"Make my legs talk."
"Pardon me. I don't understand."
"Make my legs talk like mommy does," re-asks 3-year-old Elliott.
For a moment, I'm in a pickle.
What on earth is he asking? I wonder.
Trying not to disappoint, I scramble to change the conversation to more familiar territory as we continue playing with Picasso tiles.
Much later, when her kids are in bed, I ask my daughter Carolyn about Elliott's request.
She smiles as she relates how it all came about.
Elliott and his one-year-old brother were out for a nature walk with her. Elliott ran off just a bit too far ahead and mom reigned him in, bringing him straight home to explain that running off is never option; a teachable moment for sure.
They resumed the walk a bit later and again, Elliott took off by himself; lesson not learned.
Most parents would lose their cool at this point and resort to a verbal blasting, an extended time out or something even more draconian.
However, Carolyn had an inspiration. Instead of a top down lesson, she pretended to listen in on a conversation that Elliott's feet were having.
"But I really feel like running today," his left foot said in a energetic voice.
"Not so fast," replied the right foot in a more measured tone. "Mommy gets scared when you run off."
"I'll be fine," said the left. "And besides, Mommy says I'm a big boy now."
"Running too far ahead is never a good idea. You might get lost."
Apparently the little dialogue went on for a few minutes and judging from Elliott's subsequent behaviour, the stay-close message found the mark.
Discussing the situation in a third person manner seemed to head off the mother-child power struggle while conveying mom's concerns in a non-threatening way.
Well done Carolyn!
All of us sometimes feel that tug between the high road and the low road. Maybe talking to your feet can help one make the better choice.
Who knew?
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