Baby Feats

Liam is now at the uncomfortable stage where he flips onto his belly a few seconds after being placed on the floor. Unfortunately, he cannot get back over or go anywhere, and he gets rather fussy. I know I should enjoy this short-lived fussy stage, because next he will be off, and everything will be fair game for his mouth. Meaning we will be sweeping constantly.

As I watch him now, content and hypnotized with a thumb in his mouth and a cozy blanket clenched in his other fat fist, I feel a bit of guilt, that I have succombed to letting him stare at the TV. But I needed a quick break, to write this, and he does love the Teletubbies. A book I read recently, "Einstein Didn't (or never?) Use Flashcards" suggested that shows like Teletubbies and Barney are better for a young person's development than Sesame Street. Thank goodness, because Sesame Street always seemed like it was trying a little too hard to me. Why on earth does a one or two or even three year old need to know letters and numbers?

I know, I know, it's a global economy and a rat race out there, but I am going to raise Liam on the belief that childhood is a precious, short, and special time. If he doesn't learn his letters until four, I am betting his life will still be good. I think when we start pushing our kids we need to stop and think about what we are really pushing for. I am thinking now of my daughter, Taryn. She has recently entered middle school and is struggling a bit more than in elementary. We told of this. I warned her of my own experiences. Elementary is easy if you have a decent amount of natural academic intelligence. Middle school is different. Middle school requires organizational skills and a fair bit of drive and ambition to excel. But when I think of why it worries me so much, it is because, she is my pride. She was the one child I thought would redeem my single mom's aren't a good environment status (not that the others couldn't, they just don't seem interested). But when it comes to her, she wants to be a hairdresser. Taryn has always been interested in the aesthetic, and caretaking. Who am I to push my pride onto her? I don't know.

Today, I sat Liam on the floor before, propped between my legs, and demonstrated how to make sounds on his little wooden xylophone. He reached for the small wooden mallet (?) and immediately smacked himself on the head and then foot. After that, though, he started hitting the instrument with about 60% accuracy (sorry, education is all about data now). As I praised his efforts, I started looking forward with wry amusement. Sometime, in the not so distant future, he will be banging something with pride, and I will wonder-why won't he just be quiet?