Big boy little bugs

Dearest B,

What on earth is going on? You have developed a major fear of bugs. I am having a lot of trouble sympathising with this fear. I know it doesn’t help the situation that the warm weather has meant ants have moved into the kitchen. And it also probably doesn’t help that there are multiple varieties of ant to contend with. We have the regular black ant, searching relentlessly over kitchen surfaces for any sweet abandoned crumb.  Plus we also have little native sugar ants that immediately gather on the dining room floor around a morsel of dropped food. We are alerted to their presence by the brown mass that gathers about the morsel to feast. They really are tiny little beings that are not interested at all in your toes. In the garden we have inch ants, that really are better to avoid, but just want to go about their own business.

We keep the bathroom light on at night so we also have a few moths gathering there. I know that something happened a long time ago at child care between you and a moth.  I never really got to the bottom of that story, so I suppose I can find a bit of sympathy for you. But flies, my dear child, flies are here to stay, this is Australia. I know they are dirty, but seriously what do you think a fly is going to do to you? You had better get used to them. Learn the ‘Shoo fly’ song and do the Aussie salute (wave your hand about) to move the flies on.

We have tried to personalise the large huntsmen spiders that house share with us by calling them Gavin, and I do totally understand that they are a little creepy. I was also totally freaked out by that black spider that was on Little Miss’s head the other day. It was met a swift brush to the floor from my hand and a loud stomp from my shoe. But you have to admit it was very funny that she thought the spider was her friend. (Charlie and Lola have got a lot of explaining to do.)

 





But what I really don’t understand is that yesterday you were happily following a big bluetongue lizard about your school playground. Surely that is more frightening than some small insects?

Were you fearless with the lizard because you were with your play mates? Whereas your insect encounters see you alone and vulnerable, doing your business in the bathroom, engrossed while drawing at the dinning room table, eating alone at the kitchen bench.

I am at a loss on how to get you through this time, all I keep saying is to look at the size of you compared to the size of the bug. You do have an advantage. It might be time to face some fears and learn to live with some insects, as your little fears are really starting to bug me.

Love from Mummy

xxx