Is This Normal?
Okay, our five-year-old just wrote a “silly book” (his words) encouraging maximum disobedience, disgusting behavior, and general nastiness. (See the entire thing below.)
Babyboy has been creating “books” for over a year. These are doodles and words that sometimes tell a story, but more often simply follow a theme. We’ve noticed that he deals with events and emotions through these projects.
He’s been on vacation for a week, with far more parental quality time than usual. This has also meant far more parental discipline time.
Maybe that’s what triggered this scatalogical specimen: he’s out of his routine, and having a lot of toileting accidents. He just doesn’t get to the bathroom when he’s playing and having fun. This drives us crazy.
Or maybe it’s backlash against the abundance of children’s books with positive behavioral messages we subject him to, “Sharing is fun!” kind of stuff. It does get annoying…
Or maybe this is a normal developmental stage, for both mildly autistic and neurotypical kids.
He and Babygirl were rolling with laughter while he made this. Every time he reads it out loud, he collapses with new fits of giggles.
It is kind of funny, though a little disturbing, too. We love that he loves drawing and writing and creating. But, “Lock your mom in the closet”?
Check it out and let me know what you think. (I translated his kindergarten- level spelling in the captions.)
These are basically things that my five year old says and jokes about … he just doesn’t draw them (clever, by the way!). Not that I’m an expert or anything, but it’s probably just a different way to test boundaries. Like , here are all the things I can get in trouble for, but I’m not because i only drew them. I wouldn’t worry … just hope you don’t have locks on your closets! 🙂
Oh good! And yes, luckily the closets don’t lock!!
I really believe he was just trying to be funny in a little boy away! I am so impressed with his ability to write and draw!
Oh good! He certainly does think it’s funny!
I think this is wonderful. Isn’t this what Bettleheim wrote about in “The Uses of Enchantment” – that stories give kids a way to process the terrifying experience of being angry with the people they love most? I think it’s wildly creative and a very good sign. Yay, Babyboy!
Ooh I like that! Totally makes sense. Thanks!
As a retired teacher and children’s librarian, I found this a very creative way to express the things that boys especially find very funny. He is obviously very bright and since he was taking so much pleasure in writing this, I doubt that there is anything dark about it. I remember one bright little boy who came to my weekly story time telling me that he loved books where everyone broke the rules. (As he gets older, he will find many books like that.)
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, that is very reassuring!
Every kid does this. They just stop telling you what they’re thinking later…
I guess we should enjoy this phase then!