Why I Take My Toddler To Therapy
“Mommy!” my daughter yelled. “Can I watch one more Octonauts?”
I glanced at the clock above our oven; it was 7:47 AM.
“Pleeeeeeeaassse?”
“Oh sweetie, not right now,” I told her. “We have to finish getting ready.”
“But why?” she huffed. It wasn’t long until she was whining in frustration.
“Well, Mommy has a doctor’s appointment this morning and we still have to go potty, get dressed, and brush our teeth. OK?”
Of course, I knew it wasn’t OK. I knew my daughter didn’t understand why her morning cartoons were being cut short — again. But after a brief pause, she whimpered, “OK.”
“Wait,” she squeaked. “What doctor? Are we … are we going to see Suzanne?!”
“We are,” I told her.
“Yay!” she screamed. “I can’t wait to see Miss Suzanne.”
And she couldn’t. Her joy was genuine. Her enthusiasm was overwhelming. She was soon bouncing around the house, collecting toys and “secret treasures” to bring to my appointment.
“Can I show Miss Suzanne my Elsa shoes?”
“Of course.”
“And Giraffey?”
“Yup,” I said.
“And … and … ”
“But right now,” I interjected, “right now we have to get ready.” And with that, she ran towards the bathroom, turned on the sink and began brushing her teeth before I even turned the corner.
You see, my daughter and Miss Suzanne have a special relationship. Maybe it’s because my daughter loves playing games of all kinds and Miss Suzanne’s office is stocked full of board games, puppets, and toys. Maybe it’s because Miss Suzanne is a mother herself and, as such, she knows exactly the right things to say to a toddler. Or maybe it’s nothing more than the uniqueness of the situation.
