Reader fluffymog left a great comment about toddlers and control, and it’s so true that the need to exercise at least some measure of control over their world is central to little kids.
Yesterday, for instance, Klara demanded cookies. I gave her one but she kept repeating “Mo-ah! Mo-ah!” before she even tried the one she had. So I gave her the whole box. She stuffed a bunch of cookies into her mouth, grabbed all she could with her little fists, and stared at me with a defiant look.
“You can have all of them,” I said, pushing the box closer.
She looked extremely happy, held the cookies for a moment, then dumped them all in the box, and ran away to her toys. She didn’t really want the cookies. She wanted to be in control, for once.
And this is how I missed one opportunity to give her an eating disorder with “You’ll get more after you eat this one” and Co.
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