Picture Book Prompt 133

“The 2½-year-old lives in a world of opposite extremes: “I will—I won’t . . . I can—I can’t . . . Yes—No.” He thrives by shuttling from one extreme to the other. His choices are all multiple choices; he wants both of any possible alternatives. And if alternatives are not offered, he sets them up himself.” —Frances Ilg, Louise Bates Ames, and Sidney Baker

This behavior may be typical of a 2½-year-old, but all children—adults too, if we’re honest—sometimes live in just this way. Imagine a child who insists on two opposites at once: I want it! I don’t want it! I can do it! Help me! Explore a situation that captures the whirlwind of shifting demands, the comedy, the frustration, and the truth of wanting everything at once.

Leave a Comment