Babies to the Max: 4 1/2 Years

Dear Max,

Your imagination is in full gear! "Let's pretend!" signals the start of the action and you are off into the world of make-believe. You create games for us to play, songs about Thomas the Train, and story lines for your cars, stuffed animals, and sister. Elaborate stages are constructed involving blankets and tape. Car washes and playgrounds abound in the bathtub and imaginary friends have to be encouraged to go to sleep.

We are fairly confident your future career will require negotioating skills, and you are getting plenty of practice. Instead of follwing the directions that are issued, you counter with "How about we.......you got me?" Your linguistic gymnastics also includes great enthusiasm about rhyming words. I was paged to your room at 6 am to be informed "Mommy, you know what? Ice, nice, and twice ? They rhyme!" Yes, my dear child, and so does bed and head, as in my head needs to be in my bed.

Some days you are all mine: "Look at me, Mommy, look at me!" but most of the time you are Daddy's boy. You have so many of the same mannerisms and when you wear your matching hats it is difficult to tell you two apart! We have been encouraging you to play independently for the past year and were proud when you started taking the initiative to do so. But recently you told me, "You and Sarah stay down here while I go play upstairs. I want to be by myself." It almost broke my heart - how can you already want to be by yourself? You aren't even a teenager yet!

Max, you can be a perfectionist and become frustrated if things aren't exactly right, whether it is coloring outside the lines or having difficulty mastering a skill. You say, "It's too hard!" and want to give up. Keep trying! It's ok if you aren't perfect. It's ok to make mistakes or fall short. We are just as proud of your perserverance as we are of a perfectly colored masterpiece.