now I'm crying. I don't want to grow up either.

2010-02-21T22:16:08.324-05:00

Aww. You do just what you did. You hug and hold ...

2010-02-19T19:24:45.950-05:00

Aww. You do just what you did. You hug and hold and let the tears fall and know that tomorrow she'll be okay.

I remember that question.

2010-02-18T17:06:57.459-05:00

I remember that question.

Well, you can hide your little girl deep inside an...

2010-02-18T14:16:07.916-05:00

Well, you can hide your little girl deep inside and bring her out once in a while to just play.

As for dying. Put the thought aside. Dying is for later.

oh, I don't envy you that discussion. it's got to...

2010-02-16T23:24:46.450-05:00

oh, I don't envy you that discussion. it's got to be done, but it's never easy...

It's a tough realization--and we all face it soone...

2010-02-16T21:36:55.679-05:00

It's a tough realization--and we all face it sooner rather than later.

You've gotten good advice. All I can say is hugs ...

2010-02-16T18:14:15.667-05:00

You've gotten good advice. All I can say is hugs and kisses. This was so touching.

I like what niobe said too, but I wouldn't try it ...

2010-02-16T16:31:19.315-05:00

I like what niobe said too, but I wouldn't try it on my kid, because it never works for me :) In fact, Eve used to burst into tears when we talked about something that happened before she was born -- we're not even at the other end of things yet. Motherhood -- not for the faint of heart.

I clicked over for the comments of others, and was...

2010-02-16T16:06:53.542-05:00

I clicked over for the comments of others, and was not disappointed. Happily, we haven't had anything like this yet. The closest thing has been my son asking me if I will live a long, long time, which is way easier.

I like what niobe said.

2010-02-16T13:10:09.014-05:00

I like what niobe said.

I vividly remember wanting to stay six forever and...

2010-02-16T10:20:47.504-05:00

I vividly remember wanting to stay six forever and ever. My mother used to call me Peter Pan.

Here's what I used to tell myself when I was six-ish, to make myself feel better: One day, I'll be dead, I won't exist any more. But I already know what it feel like not to exist, because for hundreds and thousands of years before I was born, I didn't exist.

Hugs and snuggles, yep. It's heartbreaking when ki...

2010-02-16T10:06:49.210-05:00
Hugs and snuggles, yep. It's heartbreaking when kids go thru issues that we can't solve for them -- you just want to put on your supermom cape and say, "Stand back! I'll take care of this one, sweetie!" But we can't.

Did grandma die recently? I remember the book Freddie the Leaf being the go-to book of choice in the late 1970s/early 1980s to help kids deal

ummm... my daughter railing against getting a peri...

2010-02-16T09:39:56.627-05:00
ummm...
my daughter railing against getting a period. NEVER NEVER NEVER for for her, that is the gateway to womanhood. and for her, womanhood sucks. Gee. What am I teaching this child? How?

There is always a case of the buts...but your friends, but all the good things you will learn and experience. Oh, and too, the snuggling. There is always the snuggling.

xo

I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that one ...

2010-02-16T09:20:09.552-05:00
I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

All you can say is that she has a LONG, LONG time ...

2010-02-16T09:08:36.190-05:00
All you can say is that she has a LONG, LONG time to be six, and yes, it's a great age and you love having her as a six year old and can't imagine her any other way. And by the time she's seven, she'll probably be ready to be seven. (Remember how when she was five she was so eager to have her birthday and be six?)

And it's okay that she doesn't want to grow up

This child needs a bedtime reading of The Monkey's...

2010-02-16T08:54:55.883-05:00
This child needs a bedtime reading of The Monkey's Paw.

You just need to tell her that, when she grows up,...

2010-02-16T07:28:17.937-05:00
You just need to tell her that, when she grows up, she can play all the Nintendo DS she wants. And wear high heels. And eat ketchup on everything.

So hard. At least the last time my son asked this ...

2010-02-15T23:43:49.542-05:00
So hard. At least the last time my son asked this kind of question, he changed the subject himself afterward. (To a discussion of some dumb kids' movie, if you want to try that.)

Those fears probably can't be assuaged--but the sn...

2010-02-15T23:04:06.735-05:00
Those fears probably can't be assuaged--but the snuggles and hugs and kisses and words and love will help her know that those fears are normal, that she can have them and learn to live with/manage them, and that she's surrounded by love.

I do remember quite enthusiastically embracing a camp song about not ever growing up, too. So perhaps she'll one day channel those

that's the age my son started to worry about his m...

2010-02-15T22:55:34.624-05:00
that's the age my son started to worry about his mortality (his words). He hasn't stopped yet, alas. At that age it was a little easier to redirect/distract him.

When I was about to turn five I decided to give up birthdays forever--I remember telling my dad I'd forego all birthday presents, forever, in exchange for eternal life. He talked me out of it--wish I could

That's tragic, and also terribly sweet. AJ has al...

2010-02-15T22:42:01.932-05:00
That's tragic, and also terribly sweet. AJ has always run headlong at growing up. I'm the one who wants to stop time. But it doesn't work well for any of us, alas.

I can remember feeling that way when I was five ye...

2010-02-15T22:34:48.036-05:00
I can remember feeling that way when I was five years old. I cried and cried about going to kindergarten because I didn't want to grow up, didn't want life to change.

I still don't like change.

Augh. Hard question. I guess (deep breath) you r...

2010-02-15T22:34:33.409-05:00
Augh. Hard question. I guess (deep breath) you really can't. You give hugs and kisses and comfort. That's what you can do.

Comments on Magpie Musing: Existential crisis

now I'm crying. I don't want to grow up either.

Aww. You do just what you did. You hug and hold ...

I remember that question.

Well, you can hide your little girl deep inside an...

oh, I don't envy you that discussion. it's got to...

It's a tough realization--and we all face it soone...

You've gotten good advice. All I can say is hugs ...

I like what niobe said too, but I wouldn't try it ...

I clicked over for the comments of others, and was...

I like what niobe said.

I vividly remember wanting to stay six forever and...

Hugs and snuggles, yep. It's heartbreaking when ki...

ummm... my daughter railing against getting a peri...

I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that one ...

All you can say is that she has a LONG, LONG time ...

This child needs a bedtime reading of The Monkey's...

You just need to tell her that, when she grows up,...

So hard. At least the last time my son asked this ...

Those fears probably can't be assuaged--but the sn...

that's the age my son started to worry about his m...

That's tragic, and also terribly sweet. AJ has al...

I can remember feeling that way when I was five ye...

Augh. Hard question. I guess (deep breath) you r...