Snippets of Time

I have recently noticed that more and more regularly I will turn around to find that Immy has disappeared and all is quiet.

independence

When I investigate I find her happily playing by herself. Yesterday morning she was hidden away in her tent surrounded by a gang of stuffed friends. In the afternoon she was sitting on the couch reading my magazine. This morning she had pulled out her tub of mega blocks and was building towers. This afternoon she had spread out her dolly’s blanket as a picnic rug for two teddies and was feeding them cake. These moments of independent play may only last 2 minutes, sometimes 5 if nothing distracts her.

I love that she is developing some independence as I know that this is an important developmental milestone. However, at the same time I am sad that my little baby is now a toddler and in the blink of an eye will be a child, a tween, a teenager, an adult.

These tiny baby steps, these little snippets of independent play, are a small step away from me. It makes me happy but wrenches at my heart at the same time. I can’t bear to imagine what the bigger steps she takes towards being an independent person will feel like.

I wish I could slow the clock down, this feels like it is happening all too quickly. Each day brings new skills, new words, many laughs and surprises. I want to catch each moment before it floats away. I want to hold on to each and every minute and savour it. I don’t want to miss a second.

“Because children grow up, we think a child’s purpose is to grow up.
But a child’s purpose is to be a child.” – Tom Stoppard

3 Comments

  1. PlanningQueen says:

    I can completely understand this. My baby just started pulling himself up on things and I instantly thought " I am not ready for him to walk yet". It does go by so fast, it is really important to make sure you take the time to enjoy it.

  2. Raising a Happy Child says:

    Love this post. My daughter is turning 3 in 3 weeks, and I can't believe how fast she grew from helpless baby to a little person with a mind of her own and very firm opinions on so many things. Enjoy (and photograph) every moment!

  3. I had to laugh as I read, because the entire time I was reading that, my 18-month-old was banging on the keyboard shrieking "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" But my 3- and 6-year-old were wrestling, completely oblivious to me or anything I have to say. So they do go so quickly from hanging on you to not noticing you at all. Both are nice in their own ways.

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