Some Challenges at the Zoo

There are some days I feel like Maeve isn't missing out on much by not having a sibling.

And then yesterday, we went to the zoo with some friends, and suddenly there were four other kids present, with opinions about which animals we should see. Now, we've been to the zoo weekly for almost a month now, so Maeve has gotten to see all the animals she really likes, and quite recently, too. But it was really hard on her, yesterday, when she wasn't in charge of what we were seeing.

I mean, she still kind of took charge, since she was at least 4 months older and a head taller than all kids present, and she took it upon herself to make sure everyone followed the rules and didn't stray. I mean, order, people! But there were more than a few breakdowns and some crying when we couldn't just drop everything and do what she wanted, right then and there.

Now, it's not like she's never had that feeling before. She hears the word NO just as often as any other kid. But usually, at the zoo, it's her show, because what do I care what animals we see? So it was a challenge for her yesterday, and she learned a lot.

And I realize that, without a sibling or two, she's not having those experiences as often. She may not be learning about giving in to others the way a kid with a little brother would. I'm not really sure how to make up for that. I mean, we got a puppy, but she doesn't often have a conflict of interest with the puppy - they both want to run around and be crazy and destroy things, they have a lot in common.

I think school may help with this, somewhat. And I'm not writing because I had some kind of epiphany about how we can work on this. I guess more playdates is still a good idea. I guess every kid has concepts that are hard for them, that get the better of them for a time. She'll get the hang of it.