I've mentioned before my children's odd life goals. Take Victoria's desire to rule China and Russia together. Madeline changes her mind daily about it - right now she's in "I'm going to be a Princess mode."
Travis, dear Travis, is obviously going to be a professional debater. Truthfully, all three of the children will be great debaters. Not so much philosophers as just-plain-likes-to-argue debaters. They come by it honestly as Brad loves to play devil's advocate and I am a Taurus and just don't like to change my mind.
Travis, young Travis, is learning how to argue and cajole about nursing. Now, between the three children, I've nursed for six years. A few years ago a study was published about women who long-term breastfeed are less likely to get cancer. So, I figure, I've hit six years and I can be done. :-) I very seriously told Travis when he was two that he needed to start working on weaning. I told him a few months ago that when he's three he doesn't need to nurse anymore. Leading up to his birthday I told him that when he's three he'll be a big boy and doesn't need to nurse any longer.
His reply? "I'm not big! You're big. Daddy's big. Taria's [Victoria] big! I'm little!" When asked about Madeline, he replies that Madeline is little, like him.
Now, I've had to change the tune because we've also been using the "Big boys use the potty" line and I really don't want him to say he can't use the toilet because he's too little.
So, we work down the amounts we nurse and then I sort of cut the nursing short, much the same way that mother cats just get up and walk away. He'll try and call me back with "There's still milk in there!"
Other times, he'll try and cajole me. "That shirt is a wow! I want to nurse!" or, when I hold up a finished needlework piece, "Wow! I want to nurse!" or "I'm sleepy, I want to nurse." It's odd to me because my girls were so non-verbal that we really have no idea if this is how three-year-olds sound.
I remember, and still love, Lucia's comment that when people ask her about when she's going to wean her son she tells them she's working on it. She adds in her head "it may take four years!" Surely I won't be nursing a four-year-old. Right?
***Additional note. Please don't send me "helpful" comments like "Just cut him off" or "Let him cry it out." Those aren't helpful. I'm not really asking for help - I know he'll end when he's ready.
It'll end when it ends, and you'll look back a month or two later and feel a little wistful... Or maybe not. I've only got the one, and I didn't nurse for six years straight--just two--so what do I know? :)
ReplyDeleteKate didn't have a word for it either. She was very verbal before she was done, but nursing requests were just a semi-urgent unhh, unnh right up to the end. When she could say it, she was all on her own done with it.
Because I need to hear this more than I do, I'm going to assume you do too, Summer: You are a very good mom. :) I admire what you do!