scared

We've lead quite a sheltered life this past year, so Leona hasn't come across much that has had the opportunity to make her scared. And if we did come across such opportunities, they never seemed to come to fruition in her.

Last weekend, however, we visited some friends who we've visited before and who have a dog - and she would seak him out and follow after him around the living-room, but freeze up or duck away when he came close. I made sure I was close to her the whole time, trying to ensure she felt like she had control of the situation, but he would get some licks in and be a bit eager for her taste.

When it was apparent she was scared, I would double-thump my chest with a closed fist (like a heart-beat) and put words to it ("You're scared."), and whaddayano, after a time or two, she would do the double-thump on her own without my initiation when she was a bit overwhelmed by his closeness.

This double-thump is a sign I have thought about before, as my sister-in-law and her son used an open hand to pat her chest to sign 'scared', but this of course was already taken to mean 'need to go potty' by Leona. Figured the closed fist was hopefully different enough.

Now comes the interesting bit (as if that is not interesting in itself...hah): That evening and the next couple days she would sometimes out of the blue double-thump her chest. I wasn't 100% sure she wasn't perhaps just enjoying a new sign and that she hadn't linked it to 'scared', but I thought that perhaps she was thinking about the dog, so I would say a few words about the dog that she had liked and that she had been scared sometimes.

It wasn't until a few days later, though, that I became certain she had the link between the sign and scared. See, our friends also lent us a baby-bathtub that day ... as Leona's been taking a bath in a little blue wash basin...and been enjoying it just fine, but they had one to lend out for now and we figured she could enjoy a bit more space:

[Side-by-side: Big Whitey's the same size as the one we used in the old house]

Since we got it she's been a bit hesitant to get in - but usually just for a little bit, and then she will climb over the edge. I was thinking maybe because it's a bit more difficult to get in than her old one.

Two nights ago, though, I had removed the plug while she was still in it ("noooo" I can hear you exclaiming), as I could tell she was basically done and thought I'd start letting the water out. She was fine until the water was almost all out, at which time she stood up and tried to get out pretty fast, get away from the drain, and I suddenly remembered how small kids can get scared of this as they don't understand that they are too big to fit through the hole, and think they may disappear into the unknown just like the water is. Talked a bit about it, then dried off and on to bed-time.

Then yesterday, as I was filling up the big tub she shook her head and then went and pulled out her little one, so we started to fill it up instead. After a little while, though, she tossed her rubber ducks into the big one, and climbed in it, and was totally fine.

Today it went a bit different: She started to climb in the big one before there was much water in it, hesitantly, got one foot in, but then got stuck (fear wise) and I helped her out of the tub. "You're scared." I noted. Double-thump, she went, before she pulled over her little tub again.

Inside, I shook my head in amazement.

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