More joys of parenting

[nanila]

You know that feeling when you're bobbling around in the kitchen preparing breakfast, still bleary with sleep, and the child you've set down on the floor goes quiet and you forget that quiet == ominous?

So you're pouring the hot water into the cafetiere, and you remember to look down, and you see your toddler is playing with the cat food. And you panic momentarily until you realise he's picking up all the scattered kibble and put it back in the bowl for the cat, which is rather sweet, although you make a mental note to wash his hands before you put him in his high chair for breakfast.

The cat comes in and weaves in and out of your legs, purring and mewling for his gooshy food. You tell him he'll have to wait because you're making the preschooler's porridge. The cat goes to his kibble bowl and stops trying to trip you, so you forget about him and the toddler again.

You come back in from putting coffee cups and vitamins on the dining table and you see the toddler having an animated and one-sided conversation with the cat, who is taking bits of kibble from the toddler's fingers. You stop to smile at this scene, until you see that the toddler is alternately feeding one bit of kibble to the cat and the next to...himself.

You gently pick up the toddler, say, "No, Keiki, the kibble is for the cat. It is not a good pre-breakfast snack. Let's wash your hands and wipe your mouth, shall we?"

It's a very special feeling, the one where the façade of calm is masking the internal screams of horror, isn't it?

Comments

[recessional]

Okay that's still adorable though? (And there's nothing in the kibble that will do him any harm, but the calm experience of empathy and sharing with a living being he loves will do him good.)

(I mean I am totally with the OH MY GOD catfood is not for babies no, just on a totally examined scale: it's perfectly safe, he's probably drawn to it because of the huge amounts of umami they spray on the stuff, and everything about the rest of it is really very sweet.)

[miss_s_b]

This

[miss_s_b]

Also: I share foods with my doggies loads, so, you know, be prepared that he may not grow out of it ;)

[nanila]

He definitely won't. He loves dogs. I suspect that, despite my protestations, we are probably going to be acquiring a dog once Humuhumu gets to be school age.

[miss_s_b]

I rec one that needs less exercise and more sofa (sighthound) over one that needs more exercise and sheds lots of fluff (collie). But really, they are all awesome.

[nanila]

It was pretty sweet. He loves Telstar so much.

But yeah, gently discouraging sharing Telstar's snacks is still on the agenda.

[alatefeline]

>> and you forget that quiet == ominous <<

SO TRUE. "How long has it been since I checked if ---?" "...Too long."

>> It's a very special feeling, the one where the façade of calm is masking the internal screams of horror, isn't it? <<

It IS. I'm sure the parent version is even more intense than the elementary teacher version, but even the dilute sort I get is ... really something.

Cat food is unlikely to hurt your kiddo, though.

Sounds like you're growing a sweet, helpful, empathetic toddler there!

[nanila]

He loves that cat so much. There is definitely some deliberate, sneaky droppage of food at mealtimes for the furry creature lurking under the dinner table, too.

[alatefeline]

Awwwww. Thank you for melting my heart. :)

[cmcmck]

I know I shouldn't giggle, but.......... :o)

[nanila]

I can definitely see the funny side! But will still be gently discouraging future kibble-snacking. :P

[liseuse]

Awww, that is adorable! (If more to read about than to experience.)

On the plus side, cat food has to be legally edible for humans, so nothing in the cat kibble will hurt him.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yeah, I was going to say that cat food has to be safe for human consumption. I used to wonder why that was, but that sort of story explains it...

[miss_s_b]

It's actually so that once they have found cat (or dog, or whatever) palatable flavours, human tasters can test batches for consistency with the flavours that animals like.

http://www.insidejobs.com/careers/pet-food-tester

[tree_and_leaf]

Gosh.

[chickenfeet]

It's good to see that Telstar is getting the small human properly trained

[nanila]

He's done brilliantly, apart from that one deviation with the dousing from the garden hose a few weeks ago.

[weaverbird]

That is the sweetest and most adorable thing! (and, from way over here, completely hilarious)

As others have pointed out, the kibble won't hurt Keiki. And his sharing with Telstar says much that is good about him (and his parents).

[nanila]

He adores Telstar. I suspect that once he can open a gooshy food packet, we will have to be on guard for an overfed cat...

[wohali]

Fantastically adorable and just that little bit terrifying. I laughed :D Thanks for sharing!

[nanila]

Thanks! You have given an accurate summary of Keiki's entire personality, there.

[silveradept]

Oh, goodness. The applications of internalized lessons are always interesting to watch in very small children. Happy Keiki, happy Telstar, and now we teach discernment about yours and mine, maybe?

It's a cute story to the outsiders, even if it is terrifying to those on the inside.

[nanila]

Yes, I think discernment between sharing with the other humans (multi-directional) and sharing with the cat (uni-directional) is probably being taken on board now. :P

[ayebydan]

precious boy <3

[nanila]

He is a cutie. He adores that cat.

[omnipotent]

I probably shouldn't have laughed . . . but really, that's kind of cute. It really is. Consider it Keiki's way of making up for spraying Telstar with the garden hose?

[nanila]

Yes, I think this went some way toward regaining his status as Favoured Minion in Telstar's eyes. Now he just needs to learn how to open packets of gooshy food.

[ironed_orchid]

Oh dear.

[nanila]

We haven't seen him doing it again - yet - so possibly the lesson has been taken on board!

[lark_ascends]

I'm sorry... I laughed, a lot.

Oh, kids.

[nanila]

Laughing is definitely allowed. I did, on retelling the story!

[sfred]

Aw.

[nanila]

It was quite sweet of Keiki. :)

[gwendraith]

Awww, adorable. Thank goodness it was only kibble ;)

[nanila]

Yes, I think I would have been less impressed if it were the wet food. ;)

[castiron]

Awww! Sharing food!

The time that I found Oldest chowing down on the cats' food didn't surprise me; I've seen the photo of me at that age doing the same. The time when he discovered that the green peas he'd eaten had, er, passed through largely intact...that was my "aiiggh!" moment.

Middle and youngest came along after the cats had both died, so no surprise kibble-eating there. Though youngest once swallowed an earbud tip, which we only knew about because it showed up in his diaper.

[nanila]

It's about the only time he *is* willing to share food!

Hah! That sounds like quite an "aiiggh!" moment, indeed.

Keiki likes to munch on the raw runner beans when he picks them. Annoyingly, he takes a single bite out of each one - usually from the side - before he's willing to hand them over for cooking. :P

[pbristow]

=:o}

[nanila]

:D

[askygoneonfire]

I think I love and admire Keiki more with every cat and animal related story. I feel a strong sense of comradeship with your little person

[nanila]

:) At the moment, he has the noises that animals make a bit mixed up. So when he sees a dog, he leans forward, points excitedly and shouts, "NEEEEEIGH"!

[alatefeline]

I now feel compelled to recommend the Terry Pratchett children's book "Where's My Cow?"

[askygoneonfire]

Presumably this is so cute you have no inclination to correct him?! My nephew alway used to point to the fox in his animal book and shout "Stott! Stott!" which was our dog (Scott) - freaking adorable.

[nanila]

Yep, we don't correct him. He'll learn "woof woof" soon enough. In the meantime, "NEIGH" is a guaranteed source of amusement.

[azurelunatic]

Awww! Cat! Toddler! Sharing! <3

[nanila]

Sharing with Telstar is one of Keiki's favourite activities. :)