The Passage Of Time

Time is one thing that a parent never has enough of.

Especially perhaps that time between the little one going to bed and us going to bed. The time in which we try to cram in all the things that we might have wanted to do for the previous 12 hours of the day but couldn’t quite accomplish due to the need to build Lego or play Buckaroo.

A parent’s life is full of important milestones. First smile, first words and first walk being three of the big ones that generally stick in people’s minds. Despite my fading memory, I can still pretty much remember when important things happened, where I was and, oddly, what music was playing at the time.

Joshua, however, has a slightly different approach to the passage of time. Things in his life either happened:

On this day (i.e. today)

or

The other day

As such, when he describes something that happened ‘the other day’ it could literally be anything from the previous 3 years, 7 months and 13 days. Not ideal when trying to narrow down what it is he is referring to.

‘Daddy, I want to watch the Blaze that I did watch the other day’

‘It wasn’t today then?’

‘No, it was the other day’

‘Balls’ *searches the whole of Netflix*

or:

‘Daddy, I really did like what I had for dinner the other day’

‘Will fish fingers be OK?’

or:

‘Daddy, I want to wear the top I had on the other day’

‘Remember you made that top dirty. Wear this one instead’

I think it’s actually quite a positive mindset.

It’s either happening now, in which case it’s important.

Or it happened some time in the past 39 years, in which case it’s less important! The past is just one big blob of stuff!

I’ve adopted the same principal when talking about the future with Joshua. Refining the concept of ‘the other day’ and ‘this day’ I’ve added in ‘soon’. Here it is in graphical form:

‘Daddy, can I have a squeezy yoghurt’

‘Soon’

or:

‘Daddy, is it Christmas yet?’

‘Soon’

or:

‘Daddy, are nanny and grandad coming round?

‘Soon’

It really is the ultimate catch all.

So if you find yourself dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future, just remember that the passage of time, and, therefore, life is actually pretty simple (when you’re 3):

The Other Day

This Day

Soon

QED

For more attempts at parenting humour visit You Have To Laugh!