I have fallen in love with my neighbors’ kids. They’re five, three, and two, two girls and a boy, and they are the most adorable kids I have ever met. While my parents are out of town this week, they asked to be allowed to come over and help feed the big cats who stay outside in the garage (the cats are allowed to come inside whenever they want, they just prefer to stay outside). They fed them in the mornings during the week for me, and I’ve been feeding them at night. A couple of times when I’ve seen them outside, I’ve asked them to come over and help me because I know that they love to do it.
All three of them are as sweet as can be. They are polite, they listen not only to their parents, but to whatever other grown-ups tell them to do (and I know this is because their parents are very loving with them, but very firm.). When they come over, they immediately do anything I ask them to do with the food dishes - they’re very intent on getting the food right for the cats. We finished up tonight and I gave them each a quarter for being such good helpers for me this week (although I do plan to bake them a batch of brownies tomorrow - that’s what my mom’s always done for them when they’ve taken care of the cats before) and walked them home.
All three of them were showing me things on their playset - the two year old, who was terrified of me until about two weeks ago (he’s terrified of anyone he doesn’t know) and then suddenly started telling me about dinosaurs, kept sliding down the slide backwards and giggling hysterically. The five year old is extremely bright and talks with the concentrated seriousness of an Oxford scholar, and the three year old is just a crack up - she loves being the center of attention. When their dad told them it was time to go inside for dinner, all of a sudden, all three of them flung themselves into my arms one at a time for big hugs. All of my younger cousins have grown up so I’ve missed stuff like this - I forgot how nice it is to get a spontaneous hug from a two-year-old. After ‘one more hug’ (which was actually about three more hugs), they all went inside.
The SO and I have had discussions about whether or not we want kids. I think if we could be guaranteed we’d have children as sweet and as good as these three, we’d do it in a heartbeat.
And this is why there is still hope for humanity. So long as good natured children like this are brought into the world, it will become a better place. Thanks for a heart warming post, avabeth.
How lovely! It’s always great to see good kids, isn’t it? I have a former boss who also has three off the sweetest kids you could hope for. I figure that while zero population growth is a good thing, folks who have great kids like your neighbors should be encouraged to have lots more!
It always amazes and delights me to watch a child concentrating so hard on doing something exactly right! To a three-year-old, feeding the cat is a huge responsibility. We have a cat, and, incidentally, a three-year-old. It is her job to feed the cat, and she’s serious about keeping the dish full! (Probably why the cat’s gotten so darned fat since we took her in:)).
As much as some kids can drive you to violence, many are truly delightful!
It was funny, their parents invited me for dinner (which I would have done except I made a huge thing of spaghetti today that needed eating), and they all brought me over a little strawberry shortcake awhile ago. When I gave them their quarters, their mom said “You’re spoiling them!” (she wasn’t mad, she was laughing), and I had to tell her “You know, though, they’re so good that I just feel like I HAVE to spoil them!”:). She got a kick out of that.
And I realize that most of us without kids are usually quick to complain and b*tch about kids acting up in stores or whatever (at least, my friends without kids are), so it’s nice to recognize kids who do behave and who are so good.
Tomorrow, they’re coming over to help me again and as a special treat, they get to help feed the two indoor cats. They were SO excited when I told them that. I’m really looking forward to it. My boyfriend has met these kids, too, and thinks they’re adorable as well. They may be responsible for us deciding to have kids:D.
You know, its also great that you are telling the parents what good kids they have.
I know that at home my kids can be holy terrors (especially my six year old daughter). But last time we went back to Australia for a visit (we were there for two weeks) I didn’t have to yell at them once. And we got so many compliments on how well-behaved and sweet they are that we felt a lot better about how we are raising them! It was VERY nice to have such affirmation. Because sometimes I have days where I just want to curl up in a ball and cry because everything seems so futile (thankfully that only happens once or twice a year).
norinew is exactly right, about little kids being so anxious to do things right.
I have a three-year-old granddaughter (by marriage, my own kids still refuse to breed). When she visited a couple of months ago, we went to the garden and picked off some catnip leaves for our fat cat Mickey. She got a big kick out of that. (Dad’s going “Your cat’s a stoner” in his Spicoli voice.)
She was here again last weekend, and as they were leaving she said “Wait, Daddy!” and she ran towards the garden. “We need to feed Mickey!” She grabbed some leaves off a peony bush and headed back towards the house.
I didn’t want her to be disappointed when Mick turned up his nose at the peony leaves, so I took her hand and we walked over to where “the good stuff” was.
What do ya wanna bet next time she knows the difference? Smart little girl, and thoughtful too.
