Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
Haley and I went to the park the other day, where we saw another girl around the same age. The girl obviously wanted to play with Haley, and kept sort of circling around us. I encouraged Haley to speak up, but she can be pretty shy as well. I said hello to the little girl several times, but that only made her run away. Finally, the other girl’s grandfather came over, and he and I basically forced the two girls to talk. Her name was Kara. Once they started talking, it was literally less than a minute before Kara said, “my best friend and I are going to play over there.”

I think it’s really adorable how quickly little kids can become close. To be honest, I’m the same way. If I like you, I like you! I’m missing the ‘skepticism chip,’ I think. The girls held hands, played on the monkey bars, and began a lengthy, serious discussion about which Disney princess is the best.

I’m glad the girls had a great time together. It was okay for me to, though Kara’s grandfather was a chatty type and nearly took my ear off. But hey, whatever it takes to keep Haley entertained on a long, hot day!

So far, Haley has enjoyed many friendships with kids her age with minimal drama. I hope that trend continues for a long time. I don’t like to imagine that at some point, interacting with others could be a source of stress for her. Right now, the experience of friendship is pure joy and I love how much Haley loves it.