Why do kids grow up so fast?

My kid keeps on telling me he is 4 years old. Even if he’s only 3 and 7 months. Slow down, buddy. I believe it’s because he knows some toys are for older kids 4+. And he always wants new toys. Or it’s his self-realization that he is growing up. He is not a little kid like other kids from his kindergarten class. He is not 3 years anymore.

It’s interesting how he becomes competitive being in a group of kids at kindergarten. If you listen carefully he will tell you how he races with them on bicycles or just plain running and being the fastest. What some kids can or can’t do.

At home, he is spending hours playing with his Magna tiles. It’s the only toy he has constantly played with since he was very young. And he still finds new ways to play. From building castles and homes for his plastic animals to garages and elaborate bridges and ramps for his cars.

His other favorite activity is taking long baths. Long because he likes to play in the water. And with water. Not so much the actual washing. He can stay up to an hour just pouring water into toys and building elaborate circuits for the water to go through. It’s always hard to get him out.

It is the first time when he said he is sleepy. Yawning and closing his eyes. Too bad it’s not at night but in the mornings. It’s still a battle each night. And the weekends are even harder since he decided he doesn’t want to sleep at noon because it’s not night outside. So no break for us until later in the night.

It’s strange (and awesome) to see how much he has evolved. Besides the obvious physical transformations. One thing I’ve noticed he switched from watching generic cartoons with shapes and songs and ducks to the next level. Now his favorites are Bluey, not sure if you know about them. But they are interesting enough for parents too. So now we can watch them together and that’s one more bonding activity that we can experience together.

What about you, what are your favorite activities to experience with your kids?

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Side by side is a book about the first years of parenting. Both the beauty and the hidden side of parenting. The long nights and troubled days. Parents who try and fail and then try again. And how your little one puts a smile on your face and you forget everything just in time to start a new challenging day.  It follows the first 2 years of a new dad and his journey, side by side, along with his son.