When I was growing up, I heard that phrase alot. 'Oh, Don't listen to her, she just wants ATTENTION', the last word was usually said with an eye roll, or a shake of the head. Attention.Tuh!
Too right I wanted attention! I was the youngest in a chaotic house of 3 kids and the only girl, of COURSE I wanted attention. I had a box full of dress ups, if I wasn't a mermaid princess, I was a belly dancer, or a ballerina or a pirate maid on a ship. Are you watching me? Mummy! Look at me! 'Mummy look at me dance', 'mummy I learned a new song at school, LISTEN', 'mummy, I can skip!'.
Now that I have a little girl of my own, the only attention seeking behaviour that bothers me is whinging, whining, moaning, tantrumming, falling down suddenly in dangerous places and thumping her baby brother.
Performances are highly encouraged. Dancing? Show me your arabesque. Singing? That's really good work, you sing very well. Puppet show? Bring it closer so I can see it better. Swanning about the house with a bag of flour and creating an original recipe of flour, sugar and panadol? Well, maybe give those back to mummy, but good creativity!
Toddlers want attention, and isn't it gorgeous?! Its only when I don't have time for the next performance or announce it is sleep time that the kind of attention seeking behaviour I DON'T like crops up.
Honestly, what is wrong with 'wanting attention'??? Gives us mummies a break from thinking up the next activity or leaving the house for entertainment reasons when sick or giving up and turning on the tv - that creativity sapper ( well, a lot of the shows).
Thank God for my gorgeous, hilarious, funny little performer. Oh and she actually really does sing very well for a 2 year old.
