A really beautiful thing happened the other day.
We had just watched Despicable Me 2 that morning and it was the first time A had seen it. If you havn’t seen it, the bad guy creates a purple serum that turns animals and people into mindless purple monsters that eat everything. (Now that I read that it sounds really scary but it actually isn’t.) Anyway, this whole situation really upset A because she just couldn’t understand firstly why they gave the bunny an injection and secondly why they would want to turn him into a monster. She loves animals so I’m sure this must have seemed like animal cruelty (which in hindsight I guess it was) to her. I had to repeatedly explain about experiments and how there are bad people in the world who do bad things. It really killed what was supposed to be a fun morning movie but what can you do. Needless to say we have not watched the movie again since then.
Later in the day she was playing with an unused urine sample container (long story) and pretending it was the purple serum. I was happy she wasnt freaked out by it anymore so I played along and acted like I was injecting her baby sister with it. Oh my goodness. She lost her shit. She seriously flipped out. Started screaming “NO! Don’t do that to my baby sister! Stop it! Fix her!” So I had to pretend to give her the ‘good’ yellow serum to turn her back. But since I am a horrible person who loves teasing kids (even my own) I then acted like I was I injecting the cats (not a great parenting day). I’m not proud. I did stop when she started crying though. I forget sometimes how powerful a kids imagination can be.
To make up for my bad parenting I went to the cupboard to get her a KitKat (yes, I sometimes right my wrongs with chocolate. Don’t judge.) and had a terribly diabolical idea. The following conversation ensued:
Me: Do you want a chocolate honey?
A: ooooh yes please!!
Me: Ok, but if you want the chocolate you have to let me give E some purple medicine. Just one small injection.
A: thoughtful pause
Me: Don’t you want the chocolate?
A: erm, yes. How about some pink medicine?
Me: nope, I want the purple one.
A: oh dear, I dropped it. Its finished.how about a blue one?
Me: nope, I only want the purple one
A: oh, er, that ones no good. Here I’ll make a nice purple one
Me: no no, I want the monster purple one
A: no no no, how about a yellow one? You like yellow.
At this point in time I finally came to my senses. I was just teasing her but to A she was really protecting her sister. A loves me. I am without question her favourite person in the world. But she was trying to protect her baby sister from me. Even if that meant giving up chocolate (which she loves). She really thought that the imaginary purple medicine would turn her sister into a monster and she was trying everything to not let that happen. So then we had a very long chat about how she did the right thing and that mummy was naughty for trying to trick her. This happened a few days ago but I am still bursting with pride at what a good big sister she is. She really cares for her baby sister and looks out for her. And her sister looks at her with utter devotion and adoration. I hope they always stay this close.
The Cheeky Optimist 