In Beatrix Potter’s imagination, Josephine Bunny was the hard-working single mother of Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-Tail, and Peter and was licensed to sell tea and tobacco.
With a business to run and four little ones to raise, Josephine had her hands full. She was exasperated when little Peter did not go obediently down the lane, like the others, to pick blackberries. She had taken the time to think up that creative, useful activity for her children, but Peter countered with his own.
This letter is for all the care-givers out there who have a Peter. Sometimes, it is easy to foster imagination in the Flopsies, Mopsies, and Cotton-Tails, but downright dangerous to even get out the glitter with a Peter. How can we encourage creativity and spark adventure for the busy, inquisitive, and often mischievous mind?
Dear Josephine,
Don’t let this latest escapade of Peter’s get you down. You gave clear boundaries, expectations, and definitions when you sent the bunnies down the lane to pick blackberries. Perhaps picking blackberries did not involve enough explosion for Peter’s taste? He seems to crave that element of danger. I suppose it simply shows his desire to be a capable, successful adult. Now, what can you assign him to do that has a little danger mixed in, but not as much as he recently found in Mr. MacGregor’s garden?
Mr. Bouncer was perfectly right to administer correction. I dare say that Peter will think twice about trespassing your boundaries next time.
Another question to ask yourself: Was Peter looking to provide for the family or feed his own fat little tummy? Motivations matter. If he is motivated by selfishness, he needs a dose of activity working for the good of others. Could he go fishing to provide supper? Hooks and tackle supply just the pinch of danger he craves, and I heard that Mr. Jeremy Fisher had quite the run-in recently with a trout. Trout would pose no real danger to a bunny, but a scare would provide a thrilling story at the supper table.
A little rabbit may find a lot of fulfillment in an activity that harnesses his creativity and ingenuity for the good of others. Perhaps using a tool (there’s a little inherent danger in all tools, isn’t there?) to make a bookcase for Mrs. Tittlemouse would make him forget his craving for lettuces for a wee bit. Or, say you were to give him a needle (that’s sharp enough to be dangerous) and thread and set him to making a garment for Cotton-Tail from pieces of fabric in your scrap bag? He may chafe at not being allowed near the sewing machine, but he would appreciate his own new jacket the more.
The more activities you can assign him that resemble the mature element found in regular grown-up tasks, the more he will have to rise to the occasion. Do you have seeds to be sorted or stems to be cut? Perhaps Peter would benefit from helping you in your business, and I know you would benefit from a helpful hand! He would also like to feel included in what you are doing, I am sure. I remember how you always wanted to be doing what I was doing when you were a youngster.
Make sure they are active tasks, not sedentary. Why not send him to the baker’s next time, with the added challenge of the responsibility of memorizing the list and returning with the correct items?
I know that it is risky to give more responsibility where there has been irresponsibility, but perhaps that is what he needs.
Anything that involves the extra challenge of solving a puzzle or mystery might hold his attention. Ask him to give you a list of the questions he’s always wondered and then set him up to find out. I recall him asking me once, “Granny, where does the ladybird beetle live? The rhyme tells her to go home, but where is her home?” Give him a magnifying glass and bug jar and send him to find out. Although, goodness knows he will discover her home smack dab in the middle of Mr. MacGregor’s garden!
Above all, Josephine, just remind yourself that everything Peter needs was wrapped up in that mug of chamomile tea you gave him when he came home safe and sound. You are doing a good job loving him, and love is the most important thing he needs to thrive. When he is a grown-up rabbit, his daring and bravado will serve him well because it has been shaped by the love you have given him in these trying years. He will be able to finish a task, care for others, manage risk, and find solutions to the problems he encounters, and then, you will see, that that was really your goal the whole time.
Much love to you, dear. Love,
Mother
At night, she writes articles, Bible study curriculum for children, and books, including her latest novel The Winning of Lady Wisdom. You can follow her adventures at SarahDixonYoung.com
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What a gracious and imaginative letter. Brought tears to my eyes! I\’ve been a single mom for nearly three years now with a \”Peter\” of my own. I\’ve loved these stories since childhood but never once stopped to absorb the fact that Josephine Bunny was a single mother too. Thank you for sharing!