To dump him or refuse him without hurting him?

You know what I mean. You are occupied by work in the house or you’re attending one sibling and you don’t have time for the other. This time I didn’t have time for Eliška (2 years and 2 months old), but she scurried up to me, bent down, made a snowball from a pile of snow and within a few seconds it was in my face.

I could hardly say “Wait please, I can’t play right now!” to such an obvious appeal for a game. I didn’t have the heart to turn her down, but I really didn’t have the time right then. And I didn’t want to hurt her.

It was easier than I expected. All I needed to do was throw a pile of snow on Eliška and make a snowman out of her, with a pot on her head and carrot as a nose. Then I explained to her that I really needed to work for 10 more minutes. I proposed to set an alarm and when it rang I’d go and play with her. In the meantime she could wallow around in the snow, play with a puzzle or her favourite book. And it worked.

I accepted her game. I showed her that I understood her proposal for a game, but simultaneously I kept my ground. Eliška really did appreciate that I had to finish my work.

To use a kitchen timer to finish an activity is a normal thing for Eliška. She often takes turns with Kryštof on the swing on the basis of an hourglass. Or she can respect the ring of a timer, which for example signalizes the end of watching Baby Tv or even indicates that the food is ready.

Author: Lenka Míkovcová

Translation: Marek Hubbell