Tears for Fears

A certain little someone will be turning two in forty days.

According to the parenting emails that I receive, the top 7 toddler fears we should be watching for at this age are:

1. New experiences

2. Loud noises

3. Getting hurt

4. Separation from parents

5. Dogs

6. Drains

7. Parents' fears - Dennis is afraid of spiders and I am afraid of cockroaches and mice/rats.

While Amity isn't especially thrilled about being left in the nursery sometimes, we are told that she typically stops crying pretty quickly. So, with the exception of new experiences and separation from parents, you would think we had a practically fearless toddler. Not so!

Somehow, gorillaphobia and stickerphobia got left off of the list. Yes, Amity's two biggest fears right now are gorillas and stickers.

After reading our Bible story at night, we pray with her. Since she has started waking up in the night crying as though she is scared, we have started asking her if she wants us to pray that Jesus will help her to not be scared. When we ask her what scares her at night, the answer is always the same..."gorillas"...and, as of last night, "stickers". The ironic thing is that gorillas are the first animal that she will point out in an animal book or on Baby Noah and she asks multiple times a day to play with her stickers. Yet, when the moment comes to touch the sticker, she backs out and runs away signing and saying "All done! All done!"

There are two more phobias that have appeared recently but we have decided to not even mess with these again for awhile: Having-your-picture-taken-at-Sears-aphobia (see above picture for the puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks) and Potty-seat-aphobia (even the offer of M&Ms just to sit on the potty cannot overcome this fear)!

Thank you, Amity, for being an extraordinary girl with extraordinary fears! We love how you make life funny, unpredictable, and interesting! :)