A few days from now the ultimate test of the Gladiator will take place. Players will bash, beat, smear, pound, and race until only a select few, battered and bruised, will remain standing. Fans will jump, shout, swear, dance, clap, and thoroughly absorb every sweat-spattered moment. Yet there, standing off to the side, a little excited and a little scared, watching their parents and relatives avidly but with slight concern as well, is Every Toddler In America.
The Superbowl is a concept that frequently isn't shared with little ones. They get an early dinner and an early bedtime, and are then expected to sleep peacefully through three hours of Mommy and Daddy's shouting, laughing and screaming.
Let's get real people.
Who says your toddler can't get in the spirit of things too? Who says your two foot tall Peyton Manning wannabe, (who doesn't understand football because, well frankly, Barney the big purple dinosaur hasn't bothered to explain it just yet), can't have Superbowl fun along with everyone else?
Here are some great tips for getting your little one involved!
1) Give up on bedtime. If you have guests over, or even if you're just watching with your Bears obsessed husband (and yes, having "DA BEARS" tattooed on any body part classifies you as obsessed), there will be noise. And worse yet it will be noise that sounds suspiciously to your toddler like fun noise. Plan on letting your little cheerleader take an extra nap the next day and just give in. Late bedtime is super exciting to a toddler in itself, so you're already established as "Awesome Mom" from the get go.
2) As soon as the game starts, let your child pick a team they want to root for. Really important factors come into this decision. Things like ... "I like the horsies", "I want red", or "Not that team, he's uggy". Picking opposite Dad's choice can actually be fun too, since, as every self-respecting toddler knows, antagonizing Dad is ALWAYS fun (plus it usually leads to being tickled and that's fun for everyone). Whichever team your child picks, identify the colors the team wears, then take your little linebacker into his room and let him pick out clothes that match those colors. (See how we snuck in a learning experience right under their nose? Go us!!)
3) If you don't have a violent opposition to wagering, "bet" your little one various things to keep them interested in the game. "Daddy will bet you a horsey ride around the living room that the blue guy throws the ball." The idea here is not to show your child how to get a bookie on speed dial, but to let them feel as if they are a part of the game too. Make sure to make a few bets that they win, and a few they lose, just to keep things interesting. Winning bets could get things like piggy back rides, a cookie at half-time, or getting to trade seats with someone for a while (keep in mind this means whoever gets picked usually ends up on the floor or in the the Tickle Me Elmo chair - you have been warned). Losing bets should have very little consequences. Giving hugs or kisses is a great one, since most toddlers secretly love kissing and hugging Mom or Dad, but making a big deal out of it is sure to elicit tons of giggles.
4) Count, count, count!! Get out blocks, balls, toys, etc. Each time a team scores, count out how many points they made. "One (red block), two (green block), three (blue block)!! Three points!!" If you've got guests over, have them join in the counting. Your little one will be thrilled to feel like the leader of the pack, and they'll be learning their numbers in the process. (See how we slipped YET ANOTHER learning lesson in there?? Damn, we're good!)
5) Let them SCREAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!! Okay think back really hard. When was the last time you DIDN'T yell at your toddler when they screeched or screamed? What better time to reinforce the fact that there are sometimes when it IS OKAY to scream for fun, but that doesn't mean all the time? Go ahead, let Mini Madden do his worst. After all, everyone's awake so it's not going to hurt anything right? You'll also have this to refer back to later on. A week later when your toddler is screeching in the grocery store line you can always mention "Remember when we screamed at the football game? That was okay screaming. This is not."
Obviously every toddler is different. Your toddler in particular might prefer to go to bed and completely ignore you crazy adults for as long as it takes. If on the other hand, your little one prefers being a "big kid" for a night, you can't go wrong in sharing the Superbowl addiction. Just think, twenty years from now your precious child might be the one shown on national tv painted blue and wearing deer antlers on their head.
Ahhhh. It's enough to make any mother proud.
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