It is possible to both want to grow up and not want to grow up at the same time.

Children want to grow-up, but they for sure don’t want to give up everything about being young.

• They don’t want to give up snuggling in a cozy bed – with special things like stuffed animals, books, or computers.

• They especially don’t want to give up being loved and taken care of, which they can sometimes believe goes along with growing up.

Like children, adults can want and not want things at the same time as well.

• We want a delicious piece of cake, but we also want to fit in our new jeans.

• We want to take a promotion at work, but we also want more family time.

Grown-ups don’t want to give up being taken care of just so they can be responsible adults and the best parents they can be.

• They don’t want to lose all of their “me” time.

• They want people to remember they like massages.

• They want someone to fix them a hot meal once in a while.

It is a good thing to put ourselves in our children’s shoes and realize that growing up is hard to do. It can help us understand our children better and guide them through growing up in a kinder, gentler way.

(See Teaching Kids to Wait – Part 1 for more about growing up.)