Infancy and toddlerhood

We went over infancy and toddlerhood in class today. My teacher described the different types of baby temperaments: easy, slow-to-warm-up, and difficult. I definitely did not have an easy temperament as a child so I was probably a difficult child. Actually, I remember stories my mother used to tell me about how I was a stubborn, difficult child--my needs were hard to understand and I seemed aversive to physical contact. I hated anyone touching me or holding me. Actually, I hated this so much that I bit people if they tried to hold me (reminds of Mogmi, the first cat I ever lived with; he also bit people if they touched him without his consent).  I was stubborn about refusing food I did not like, and I cried incessantly if I didn't get fed. I did, however, calm down as soon as I was fed, and then promptly rolled over and went to sleep. My mother loves telling these stories of my babyhood days, sometimes to reminisce with others and sometimes to illustrate how much I've changed or stayed the same.


Now that I think about it, I turned out very different from my babyhood temperament. I like physical affection now and I'm often affectionate with my mother, my friends, and my boyfriend. The other members of my family, especially males, are not so open to physical affection, but that's okay. It's our culture after all.


I'm also not stubborn about food anymore. I'm willing to try new foods and new things. Maybe it was just my preconceptions as a child that contributed to my stubbornness. I remember how I never wanted to try certain foods based purely on how they looked: bitter melon, artichokes, asparagus, okra, things like that. Mostly green vegetables that looked funny (strangely enough, I've always loved broccoli--they're like little trees!-- and green beans and snow peas). I did not try the strange-looking vegetables until I was much older, probably in my mid-teens or early twenties, and I turned out to like them all! Well, except bitter melon; the taste is terrible.

Now I can say that I'm glad I tried them and I can add them to the list of nutritious and delicious foods to eat. Maybe that's why I was stubborn of food as child. Misconceptions. Funny how things change as you get older.