just listen.

If there is one thing that I'm still learning about little kids is that when they're not being heard, it is mighty frustrating.
While I was online watching one of my guilty pleasure shows called "Hoarders", which by the way oh wow.. wow, without even noticing anything whatsoever due to my shock and amazement of this show (I'm really sure that my jaw hung low for the entire first 10 minutes of the show), James was purposely stuffing Hot Wheels cars and some tiny skateboard dude figuring inside of his fire truck. A fire truck that is not supposed to have cars or any type of toy stuffed inside of it. Because what gets stuffed in it doesn't come out.
I hear some whining and then there's James standing in front of me, angrily holding his fire truck and demanding "mommy my skateboard dude is stuck inside get it out get it ooouuuut."
I grab this fire truck, shaking it gingerly and then when I hear the loud rattling coming from it, I shake it even harder. James stands there teary-eyed explaining what he stuffed inside of it and at the time I went straight to scolding him for doing this. He begins to get more teary-eyed and so frustrated. I think he was mad at himself and mad because I kept saying "James, it's not coming out..*continuously shaking fire truck*...seriously it's not..coming.....out."
"James I don't think your skateboard guy is in there..whatever is in there sounds too loud."
Sure enough, a red car with white stripes pops out. James becomes more upset when I explain to him "wow James! look your skateboard guy magically turned into a new car!" and I only try this because he shouted "I don't remember this car I don't remember this one at all!"
I tried to work with what I could....
James is no idiot because he knew that his chipped-faced tiny skateboard guy was still stuck inside. He wasn't falling for it.
There is nothing more frustrating and sometimes extremely upsetting when someone isn't taking you seriously. They're just not listening and understanding you.
I felt so bad for the poor guy.
After his figurine had finally popped out after I shook that fire truck for another 5 minutes, fishing it out with my fingers after yet another 5 minutes.. James was so pleased ..so happy.
I told him that I was sorry for not taking it seriously and that I'm happy it popped out.
Wiping his tears away, he then cried from happiness and thanked me.

That was his first lesson that will carry on for the rest of his life.. how there are always going to be times that people are not going to fully listen to him... not believe him.
Unfortunately, I had to be one of the first people to do that to him.