Dogs Best Friend.

My son thinks his friends are dogs.

The other day we were having a play date with our cousins when Hunter joyfully decided to share. I usually encourage this behavior, because as an only- and a non-daycare-going- child, I want him to learn how to play nicely with other children. The problem is that when Hunter shares, he likes to shove toys right into his friends' mouths.

This odd behavior was proceeded by Hunter getting in trouble for not being gentle with his playmate.. hitting him a little too hard and throwing an object in his direction, hitting him square in the chest. But what happened after I said the words ,"be gentle" gave me some serious pause.

Hunter promptly looked at me, his little face clearly registering the command, and then proceeded to pat his play mate lightly on the head and then lean in for an armless hug (basically Hunter putting his head on the other boy's chest). This behavior was not received with the good intentions with which it was meant because the petting was invasive, probably a little to rough and slightly condescending, and the hug registered as a rather strange gesture given their was no actual hugging involved.

Hunter's playmate quickly looked from Hunter to the adult supervisors in the room with a level of confusion and disgust that resulted in a priceless face I wish I had a picture of, and an immediate push as he tried to remove the small human from his chest.

The thing is, Hunter's behavior was supposed to be nice. He was petting his friend. And, in all fairness, this is my fault (because his dad wasn't around to take the blame).

We have a dog and I'm a huge proponent of pets for kids. I think the right pet provides a lot of benefit for young children. Not only have studies proved that kids with dogs tend to have stronger immune systems (probably because the dogs constantly expose them to dirt, germs and crap they otherwise wouldn't usually be around) but I credit our dog with helping to teach our son to walk. It was the determination to catch up with his dog, after all, that motivated Hunter to take his first steps - right toward our 90 lb. Black Mouth Cur, who immediately ran for cover, horrified that this small but loud lump had suddenly learned to move on its own. But our son has also learned how to play with others based on how he plays with our dog.

The command "be gentle" most commonly comes in response to Hunter using our dog as a drum - or a horse, or a step stool - so when I made the warning, he jumped into action. Responding exactly how he would to our dog with a series of nice pets and an animal-appropriate hug.

Despite the hilarious awkward inappropriate exchange, I can't help but marvel at how children view the world. In a way, his immediate reaction shows an impressive amount of acceptance and tolerance as well as the true innocence of a child. He doesn't see an animal as lesser than another human being - to him, he was treating his playmate with the same respect and love he shows his own brother. To Hunter, that was the utmost compliment (or perhaps it was a knee-jerk reaction to my command, but let's pretend it's not). Either way, PETA could learn a thing or two from Hunter.

In closing, my takeaway is simple: We need more human play dates.

-N.

Slightly Crunchy: giving in to some of the earth-preserving, "granola-esque" qualities that are often associated with mothers such as cloth diapering, breastfeeding and organic baby food-making, but without fully embracing the "make-your-own-clothes-wear-organic-deodorant-all-natural-everything" lifestyle.