Socialization?

Because there is a big age difference between Jack and his sisters, and because they live so far away, he doesn't get the opportunity to have the experience of growing up with lots of siblings around. Also, because of where we live, he doesn't see his cousins but once or twice a year. Even most of my friends with kids the same age live far away. Growing up in a big family, I really wanted him to have the benefits of being around lots of kids. Well, that hasn't worked out too well. So, I have had to improvise. Currently, I take Jack to the mall about 2-3 times a week to use the kids play area and he loves it. I go about an hour before the mall opens so it isn't too crowded. And, as an added bonus, I get to chat with the "regular" visitors: moms, grandmas, and the occasional nannies. (Starbucks is the only open store so I can get a quick caffeine fix too!) It is such a regular occurrence that the second I enter Starbucks, Jack starts screaming in happy anticipation.

Well, it seems Jack is getting a reputation with his crazy antics at the mall. Luckily, most of the other parents are understanding. Here are just some of the challenges I face:

• Jack tries to kiss the other kids and it really upsets them. What can I say? He is a lover!
• He is, by far, the loudest kid there. Screaming in happiness.
• He would rather be around other kids then play on the equipment. He runs over to any group of kids, and pushes his way to the middle of the crowd. He then stamps his feet and screams and laughs. (It has scared more than a few children.) Some of the kids are too mellow and are not sure how to take his enthusiasm, so they tell him to go away, or cry the second he approaches.
• When other kids lay on the ground to rest, he thinks it is a game and runs over and jumps on them. I am not exaggerating. He straddles them, bouncing up and down. It is the most embarrassing of all his moves.
• If other children are crying (those not near him.) He will run over to see if he can help and will often start to cry if they don't stop.
• He usually prefers to play with older kids. He also tends to go for the girls instead of the boys, but the older girls get very tired of his rough play very quickly.
• He tries to steal everyone's drinks. He knows he shouldn't do this, so if he gets a hold of one, he runs in the other direction with it. This isn't limited to the kid's sippy cups. He has taken water bottles and coffee cups right out of the hands of unsuspecting moms. (And don't get me started on cell phones, he will take those too!)

He is fearless and often tumbles and falls as he is running and jumping. However, my biggest concern is that he is going to hurt another kid in his attempts to play with them. It really is exhausting. Especially when you get the parent who ignores their kid so they can talk on their cell phone and I have to keep them from pushing my kid around. I also constantly tell people he is only 18 months old. He is so big, they sometimes expect more from him then he is capable of delivering. I don't really get to relax much at all during the process and most of my adult conversations are interrupted by my running to pull Jack off of some child who doesn't think his rough play is fun. But he sure takes some great naps on the days we go!

I think I will have to enroll him in something more formal pretty soon so he can work on etiquette, but for now he is just not calm enough for it. A couple of weeks ago, on one of our visits, there were 3 older kids that took to Jack and played with him. Each one came up to me at various times and told me, "That baby is crazy!" Yeah, and I wouldn't have it any other way.