My brother’s almost 4-year-old daughter called to wish me a happy birthday a couple of weeks ago, and immediately launched into one of her famous, almost decipherable monologues. Apparently she was informing me what I was supposed to bring for her upcoming birthday: a pink and purple mask on a stick, in a white box wrapped with a red bow.
Very specific, that child.
My mom already has her marching orders: a pink dinosaur.
I love it that something in her brain has told her that Tia (that’s me – it’s Spanish for aunt) should get her one thing, and Grandma should get her another. It’s probably a little presumptuous, but go ahead and tell a 4-year-old that she’s being presumptuous.
She knows what she wants, and I’m just glad it doesn’t involve a copyrighted cartoon character designed only to sell her more junk. She’s asking for toys that will allow her use her imagination.
Best of all, she already seems to know that dropping hints is somewhat futile at best, and passive-aggressive at worse. Better to figure out your desires and explain them clearly to those who need to know them. I just hope she holds on to that trait as she grows older, for it will make her a stronger and happier woman.
Entirely Adequate 
And so it begins. . .
Girls manipulating people into buying them things.
Today, pink dinosaurs and purple masks.
Tomorrow, diamond rings and SUVs.
Just sayin.
It’ll be interesting to see how she turns out. She’s a lot less entitled than most kids I know (doesn’t demand everything she sees, and doesn’t get tons o’crap from the parents), so it’s kind of cool when she does ask for something. Tia will teach her that diamonds aren’t forever, by a long shot, and that purchasing your own awesome car is way more fun than pouting until somebody buys you a truck you’re not tall enough to drive.
Oh, I had a Tia like that. She was legendary.
I try to abide somewhere between good example and horrible warning.