Sometimes young children easily get themselves in trouble. When children are around the ages of one to three they are too young to critically think about the world around them or their own actions. Parents must be patient with little ones when they are young because in their need to explore the world, children get into lots of trouble! Parents need to guide their children to teach them right and wrong as they get older.

The following story is an example of how young children get in trouble and the importance of being patent with them until they are old enough to learn right and wrong.

His Name Was Trouble

Once upon a time there was a kitten named Trouble. He was the sweetest kitten and loved his Mommy and Daddy very much. He enjoyed cuddling and snuggling with his parents. Unfortunately, the little kitten, despite his sweet demeanor, had a knack for getting into trouble! Everyday the kitten's Mommy and Daddy would find him doing things he shouldn't be doing earning him the nickname Trouble.

You see, Trouble was a very young kitten. He was only eight weeks old. The world was new and exciting! Trouble wanted to explore and try new things. The world was so big and Trouble sometimes got so excited to see it all that he didn't realize he knew very little about how his actions impacted him and others.

Trouble loved to play with his milk. Ever since his Mommy taught him to drink milk from a bowl he was happy he was considered a big boy! The milk was so much fun in a bowl. He would bat at it with his paws to feel the cool liquid splash. He loved big splashes that made milk go everywhere. If his parents left the milk carton unattended he would take a chance to look at all the words and pictures on the sides. He didn't understand what anything meant but he loved holding the carton just like Mommy. Sadly, his little paws were too small to hold it well and he'd always drop the carton to the floor, spilling milk everywhere. To Trouble this was great and he would lap up some milk and run around in the liquid playing fun games.

To Mommy this was a mess to clean up. Mommy was frustrated trying to teach her son how to drink milk out of a bowl without making a mess. Sometimes it made her angry her kitten got her nice clean kitchen messy. She would have to take deep breaths and remind herself Trouble was only a baby and he would learn making a mess is bad as he got older and learned to think more critically about his actions.

After making messes Trouble would have to take a bath. The kitten hated taking a bath and would do everything he could to escape. He didn't understand being messy meant having to get clean again. All he knew was that he was having so much fun playing in the milk and Mommy ruined his fun by making him take a bath. Mommy understood Trouble was too young to put the two concepts together. He still could not speak adult language and only knew a few words. Until Trouble was older and could understand Mommy's words, Mommy knew she had to be patient when Trouble threw tantrums to get out of taking a bath.

Sometimes Trouble did dangerous things. Trouble didn't understand the concept of danger. He was so young he could not see that certain things in the world could hurt him. It was Mommy and Daddy's job to watch the kitten and slowly teach him right from wrong. Trouble loved to climb. The cat family had a chimney that went right up to the roof where a family of birds lived. One day Trouble climbed up the chimney while Daddy took a litter box break. The kitten was fast and made it to the roof quickly. He crawled in the birds nest and started pretending to be a baby bird. He had a wonderful time.

Daddy was so angry when the mama bird came to get him. He lost his temper and yelled at Trouble. He could have fallen off the roof and been hurt or worse. Trouble didn't understand Daddy's words. He was having a fun time. Why was Daddy so mad? Daddy calmed down when his son began to cry. He had to reflect and realize Trouble didn't understand because he was so young. Daddy took deep breaths, cuddled Trouble in his arms, and calmed the crying kitten. Daddy knew he would have to keep Trouble close by in his sights at all times until the kitten was bigger and could be taught right and wrong.

Sometimes Trouble didn't want to eat his dinner. He wanted fish and kitten treats. He didn't want to eat his kitten kibble. Mommy and Daddy refused to let him have the tasty treats and he'd cry. Mommy and Daddy both exercised patience at dinner time. They knew kitten kibble was healthy for their son. Baby cats can't rely on treats to get all the nutrients they need. Mommy and Daddy would calm their little one and show him how tasty the kibble was by eating their own kibble. When Trouble saw them eating the kibble he would eat too because he wanted to be like Mommy and Daddy.

Moral to the story: Trouble was a young kitten and because he was so young he didn't understand anything about the bigger world around him. To him pain and pleasure, happy and sad, and other simple concepts were all he knew. Mommy and Daddy had to remember this when Trouble got into trouble. Both parents knew they had to be patient and understanding with the boy until he got older and could learn more complex things.

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