Weird parenting moment from today.
Charlotte found a dead ladybug - just a shell, really - on the windowsill. She pushed it around with her finger for a while. "Hey, ladybug. Hey. Ladybug. Hey, ladybug. I'm gonna fix you up."
My heart contracted - she's just a baby still. I said to her, "Babe, I don't think that ladybug is alive anymore," and she just gave me a blank look. She went back to pushing it around and talking to it. I didn't want her to squish it, I think that would confuse her even more, papery shell just dusting under her finger.
I distracted her by taking her with me to get the mail, and when we came back in, I popped the ladybug exoskeleton in the trash before she noticed.
Oh, that's a tough one. We've had two cats die this year, and they're buried in the back yard. Nothing like hearing your toddler say, "Oh, there's a picture of Bloo! Bloo's dead! He in the back yard" and knowing that he really doesn't get it.
ReplyDeleteProtect and prepare, I suppose.