We call our Piper girl our wild child and our little diva. But she is so much more. A year or so ago I read the amazing book, The Child Whisperer by Carol Tuttle, and was forever changed as a mother. I learned that I have a type 2 boy and a type 3 girl. Two very opposite personalities.
I discovered my little girl was active and determined. I should have known from the day she crawled up the entire staircase at 7 months old before I knew she could even climb one step. She’s busy, persistent, energetic. And that is okay. Every day she becomes more active, more determined, more busy, more persistent and more energetic. That is why we love her so.
Today is her THIRD birthday, and in honor of that I wanted to write a post dedicated to the five lessons I’ve learned from having a wild child.
1. Every moment can be filled with JOY
Piper has a way of finding joy in the simple things. She walks with a little skip in her step, dances whenever she hears a song come on (even in public) and laughs hysterically when anyone around her toots. She hops up and down while screaming YAY when she scores a goal, opens up a present with the most excitement you’ve ever seen and smiles with her top teeth and her bottom teeth when she’s happy (which is almost always).
Piper makes everything more fun. I drop her off to preschool every Tuesday and every Thursday. Its been weeks of the exact same routine, but EVERY time I pick her up she screams “MOM!” hops up and down and runs to me with open arms.
Type 3 children are full of energy. Loud, busy, face paced.
This girl adds so much excitement into every part of our day, and constantly has us all laughing with the things she comes up with.
outfit: Sugarplum Lane Baby | wall hanging: Modish Yarn
2. It’s not my job to entertain 24/7
I realized pretty quickly that I don’t have the energy to keep up with the energy inside Piper’s little body. Instead of creating activities to entertain her all day long, I have found spaces where she can be free to be physically active.
I take her to the park, the bounce houses, the jump zone. We have dance parties almost daily around the living room, and play in the backyard for ours. I signed her up for dance, soccer and preschool this year as a two year old. :O I never thought I would have my tiny toddler in so many activities, but she needs them. And I need them. And my walls, bedspreads, and carpets need them ;)
Type 3 children NEED physical outlets to release energy and they also need a lot of variety.
outfit: Sugarplum Lane Baby
3. A quiet moment is never worth it
Piper is VERY VERY hands on and extremely curious. She loves to see what will happen if she dumps out an entire bottle of water into a jar of pills, or smears make up all over a wall, or puts nail polish on all her dolls. I know this about her yet I still haven’t learned my lesson. You know those moments you assume that the silence is just your child happily playing independently??
With Piper any moment of silence is a guaranteed mess. It’s not her fault…she’s a curious kid. It’s 100% mine. I recognize that. The longer I don’t get up, the more intense the situation.
In our home it usually involves make up, nail polish, hair gel or other bathroom projects. I’ve baby proofed about a million times but nothing is ever 100% Piper-friendly. I love her curiosity and know she will be the world’s smartest kid with her desire to learn.
Type 3 children have a hands on learning style. They are curious, and love a reaction.
outfit: Sugarplum Lane Baby
4. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Piper has the world’s cutest wardrobe, an adorable bedroom and so many beautiful toys. I had to learn quickly that things are just things. Stuff is just stuff. Almost every single outfit is grass stained, nail polish stained or make up stained. She has holes in her clothes, bruises up and down her legs and broken toys, ruined bedding and painted walls.
I’ve found my iPhone floating in the toilet. I’ve found my brand new bed covered in irreversible messes. We have rugs covering goop, nail polish, lipstick and more all over the house. Stuff is stuff and things are things. When you see how proud she is with whatever experiment she was working on, it’s hard to be mad. She’s always on an adventure, and way too fast to keep up with.
Type 3 kids are extremely busy. Once they can move, they will get into everything and they never really stop. They are extremely curious and have a great desire to experiment.
5. It’s Okay to say No
Piper is not afraid to say no to anyone. If you ask her for a hug at the end of the day and she doesn’t feel like it, she’ll tell you. Instead of being a people pleaser like myself, she takes care of herself first. And although sometimes it can be frustrating, I love that she knows what she wants and fights for it.
Type 3 children are strong willed, and I know she is going to become the strongest, determined woman one day.
Happy Birthday to our Wild Diva Girl. Every day is an adventure with you.
PIN IT FOR LATER
5 Lessons I’ve Learned from my Wild Child | Type 3 Child
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Kylee started Kylee Ann Photography 9 years ago, and has since grown from a one woman amateur show to a full associate team. We shoot 50-75 weddings a year, and thrive on kindness and service. After a year of teaching Intro to Photography at the local technical college, she discovered that helping other entrepreneurs create thriving businesses is what fires her up! She hosts semi-annual Kylee Ann Sleepovers all over the US, speak at conferences and teach online courses about running a small business and marketing.
October 12, 2017
Kylee Maughan
