Scary

Lately Caed has been learning what being scared is. I noticed it first on the movie Cars when a big tractor comes roaring out in the dark with his headlights on....he started running away before the tractor came, so I would skip it, and then he would get mad at me. I watched him one time and he left right before the action but then wanted to return just after it had started- like the scariness was reduced by missing that initial look at the tractor.

Then the past two days when I've opened the door after he's awakened from his nap he's said "you scared me" (somehow my loud walking up the creaky stairs and hallway were not heard) followed by a big smile and a chuckle.

Today he wanted to play with a jack in the box that we normally don't play with and I warned him that it might scare him to begin with- so he ran away. I popped it up as normally as possible so he could see what was in it, and then encouraged him to do it. He very slowly was turning the knob- and then he put it on my desk and ducked down while trying to turn the knob.

I don't know if I am making a more scared child or helping him face "scary" things, but for now he seems to think it's funny and I can't help thinking it's really cute when I walk in and he tells me I scared him- with a big grin. It's fun to watch him learn this emotion (at this point).