There’s always tomorrow.

I had just picked the girls up from school and daycare. Cosette wanted to go to the library**, and I explained "But today is the day we are going to the playscape."

"But Mommy," Cosette whined, "you said we were going to the playscape tomorrow! Is it tomorrow now?"

"Yes. Tomorrow is always the next day after today. Today is tomorrow from yesterday, and tomorrow is the next day after today" Cosette looked confused, so I clarify: "Today we will go the playscape, and tomorrow we will go the library." That she understood.

No wonder she is having trouble understanding the concept of yesterday- today- tomorrow. Another concept she doesn't seem to get is "Never." She'll comment that we 'never' watched "Monsters, Inc." when, in fact, we have watched it every day for the past week and a half- just not yet today. In her mind, 'not today' means 'never'. I try to explain the difference between 'never' and 'not in a while', but she is a girl of absolutes- except when I am talking about 'Now.' As in, 'Go To Bed Right Now!' Or 'stop jumping on the bed Right Now!' Or 'Get Dressed Right Now!' In these cases, Cosette interprets 'Right Now' to mean 'When I Feel Like It'. However, when she wants something from me, she understands perfectly the difference between 'Right Now' and 'When I Have a Minute'. It is all just a matter of perspective.

 

**I know, shame on me for taking them to the playscape instead of the library; of course I love to go to the library with them, but the agenda was playscape today, library tomorrow; and if I make any sudden last minute changes to the schedule it is only my own fault later when I have to hear the complaining "But you promised we would do the playscape today!" (see how all of a sudden Cosette gets her timelines straight?)