Kids aren't adults. They should have fun.

My kids are wild. Like crazy wild. Probably because Miss H's middle name is Wilde so it simply set the stage for her and bled down to her brother.

My kids are loud. They voice their opinions, even at times when I'd rather they not - say, the middle of the super market or during mass. And they haven't yet developed class, so people look. They stare. Their mouths gape open. They're appalled.

But I'm cool with it. Because as wild as they are, they're mostly normal. And they're sweet and awesome and wonderful and everything I could ever hope to be.

And because of their loud and rowdy ways it never ceases to amaze me how well they sit down, sit still, and pay attention during story time. How well they participate in circle time and stretches at gymnastics. How very focused and how well Miss H follows directions during dance class and piano lessons.

During these moments, it's like my children are possessed. Some may say I have it backwards, these mellow, quiet, following-direction times should be "normal" and the rest of their lives the possession. But it's not. And that's okay.

Even Mr. B sits right down for circle time and makes his butterfly legs. He makes pizza with his gymnastic instructor and loudly belts out the welcome song (incoherently of course!). Both B and H do these things while other kids are typically running around the gym or story time, unable to sit and focus.

I don't think there is anything wrong with these other kids. I think they've got an agenda of their own, and that's a-okay. If it were H or B, I'd let 'em go run their bit. It's harmless and they are just babes. They're not meant to sit and follow directions at such a young age unless they want to.

Except other people don't seem to agree.

Oftentimes the other parents are "whispering" (you know, that whisper that is as loud as a yell) vehemently to their children to "sit down on their bottoms" or "get over here right now" and even "you will regret this later." It makes me so sad for those kids. They are doing what is innately natural to them, and they are being told that they are wrong or bad for simply being a small child.

I don't know why my kids participate so well in activities. H's BFF has a very similar personality and temperament as H. But she doesn't sit still during story time. And her momma is just fine with that. I don't know why H does. I don't know why B does.

But I know I've never yelled, screamed, threatened, coerced or bribed them to do so. And I never will.

Quite frankly, at this young of an age it's all fun and games. They don't have to follow directions. H just graduated up to the big kids gymnastics class (but she still gets to do toddler gym too - whew!). There she is expected to follow directions. And in that situation, if she chooses not to, I'd never make her feel bad about it. It would be her making it clear to me that either she is not ready to be in that kind of position or that she doesn't enjoy gymnastics. And I'd never make her do an extracurricular she didn't enjoy. That's just dumb.

So please, don't expect your kids to be little adults. They don't have the same patience we have(okay, that many of us have or at the very least pretend to have). They can't sit still like we can. And they like to have fun. Let them!

And fun is different for all kids. Don't expect your kids "fun" to be what you think it should be. You might think that collecting the most Easter eggs during and Easter egg hunt is fun. Your kid might think that picking dandelions is more fun. And that's fine.

Let them be little!