A Mowhawk Mentality

Ama - 30
Raleigh, NC
1 son (3)


I have a nearly three-year old. Anyone that has witnessed the phenomenon of an almost three-year old, has to sympathize with me, at least a little; he's a tyrant. Nothing is shared properly. He's tempermental and emotional--one moment we are laughing about something he did or said and in the very next breath he is crying because he didn't want to take a nap three hours ago. Anyone that's seen an almost three-year old must sympathize.

Anyone that's seen MY almost three-year old is at first shocked that he can talk the way he does, in clear and plain English, stating facts about his surroundings concisely. He speaks to every single person we pass in the grocery store or Target, and will often ask their names before telling them his and asking when their birthday is. He wears his pride on his sleeve. And he wears his attitude on his head.

Both my husband and I were sporting locs before it was popular and still were when I got pregnant and for at least a full year after my son was born. We were used to the attention our hair would sometimes bring us. We weren't ready for HIS hair. My son's hair grew in naturally stylish - in a trendy, thin, mohawk-type way. It stuck straight up as my hair seems to, but was thick and curly at the roots like his father's.

He seemed to grow into this fashionable hair, refusing to wear hats, bullying other children (if necessary) and doing whatever he wanted (that includes vomitting in my hair if the mood passed him). We'd hear comments about Mr. T and "what hair!" constantly.

I've never met a child so open to the world, so fearless and observant. He's got this bad boy look, with this wonderful person attitude. He doesn't care if he "rocks and rolls" and he wants to be a drummer. People of all sorts stare at him, some pity him for the terrible parents he's somehow inherited. They shake their heads at me, as if I was just seen driving down the street with him in the driver's seat or as if I just dropped him (almost). What I've come to understand is that its not normal for an almost three year old to know that he likes something that means something different to so many people, but if they take a moment to talk to him, they get it...he's got a mohwak mentality...and I think he knows it.