Yesterday I was watching my 2 year old nephew while he played outside at our annual family Thanksgiving. He had a delightful time throwing rocks, sticks, and leaves into the pond from a small bridge above. Every once in a while, he would ask me "Go inside?". I would respond "We can go inside whenever you want". He would then go back to playing. He didn't want to go inside yet. He wanted to make sure that we would go when he was ready.
I was reminded of a very similar incident I had with his older sister when she was about the same age. I had taken her to play at the park on the way home from my mom's house. From time to time she would say "I want to go home." I would I say "Ok", and we would start walking toward my car. She would then say she wanted to play more, and we'd turn back around.
I believe my role as an aunt is to help my nieces and nephew grow to be strong, healthy, independent people. I cherish opportunities like these to show them that their views matter and that I am there to support them in any way I can. Small moments can have a big impact in shaping who we are.
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