This is why he has nightmares

Bean is at the age where sometimes he will wake up in the middle of the night crying, most likely scared from a nightmare. I was talking about this with a couple other moms going through the same thing, and they were wondering what toddlers could possibly have nightmares about.

Me, I don't wonder at all.

Without question, Bean must be having nightmares about the most terrifying place on earth: preschool.

Remember this is the same co-op preschool that he and I attend TOGETHER every Wednesday morning for two hours. We have been with the SAME moms and kiddos for over a year now, or since he was six months old.

Yet I'll be darned if it's not traumatizing for him.

Every week.

He just doesn't like crowds. Or more accurately, other people.

Which, I don't really blame him. Other people can be highly overrated. But I happen to really like our preschool class, and I wish he would show a little more enthusiasm for all the awesome stuff we do.

For example, this morning we went on a field trip to Thomasson Family Farm. It was incredible! They had so many fun things for the munchkins to do. I guess I started us off on the wrong foot... right after we walked up to join our group, I realized I left my camera in the car. I snuck back to grab it while the teacher kept an eye on Bean, playing in the sand pit that was filled with toy John Deere tractors. Of course by the time I hustled back, he was crying for his mama.

I snapped pictures throughout our visit, but they seem more to be evidence of my bad parenting, forcing the poor kid to *gulp* actually try to have fun, rather than documenting an enjoyable trip to the pumpkin patch.

I didn't even get any shots of the corn pit. Even though I went in with him, the little guy was practically shaking while gripping me in deep fear. Fortunately a couple of the others weren't fans of it either, so we wandered to less threatening activities.

There's a huge contrast between these pictures and the ones I take at home (I'll post more of those soon). In our house, there is a constant soundtrack of babbling, a few actual words, giggling at his own jokes, and lots of motor noises. He's running all over the place, throwing balls, pushing cars, and cooking on the Fisher Price stove. But when we go out and see friends, he doesn't utter a sound unless he's wanting me to pick him up, and it's rare to see him crack a smile. Oddly enough, he seems more at ease when we are surrounded by many strangers (like at the mall) then when we are around people we actually know. A commentary on my choice of friends, perhaps? Someone may be a bit too judgemental for his own good.

Well, I keep trying, anyway.




Happy fall, everyone! Hope you are enjoying the season more than Bean seems to be.