First Word 25

Hey!

I must confess I find it very fascinating to watch or hear my children communicating with their daddy. It always fills me with joy to see him focus and listen to them. On the other hand, my kids say things that leave me awed at how a child’s brain develops—in leaps and bounds. Every few weeks I hear them say something so totally new that I stop in my tracks.

Just recently, my daughter, nine years old, came to the kitchen where I was going about my tasks with my hubby chatting me away. She looked around and asked me, I am scared today. Can I sleep in your bed just for tonight?’

Her daddy asked her. Are you now not a big girl?’ She seemed amused by this question. She had just the spot-on answer for him. ‘I am a big girl, which is the problem. You see. when I was a small girl, a baby, I did not get scared. I did not know many things.’

‘Such as what?’ I asked. She smiled and said. ‘Like the scary things I see on TV. And bad people. Now I know there are thieves and they break into houses. When everyone sleeps before me, I get scared about the things I now know.’
These revelations have made me think a lot about the things we as parents talk about in the presence of our kids. We avoid all the obscenities, which is a good measure, but then what about the ‘normal’ day to day talk which without our consciousness is absorbed by our kids who in our heated debates are simply innocent by-standers? How do we invest in our children’s minds? That subject is covered in this edition.

Another recent incident occurred when my hubby was out of town. My kids asked if they could write an email to their dad. I thought. ‘Okay, but what will they write?’ Now sample this. My daughter wrote: ‘Hi Dad. I have missed you since you went…I have good news: I removed two teeth today. I removed one then I stayed for 1 minute then I removed the other one. When you come back I will put them under my pillow…’

Her brother, ten and a half years old. who by coincidence had a shaking tooth too. wrote. ‘Hi Dad. I hope you are okay. I know very well you are having a splendid time…You are working right now or you are relaxing on your bed getting ready to go to sleep. Myself I am fantastic I removed one canine tooth at the top jaw…l said to myself desperate times call for desperate measures, then I pushed the tooth back and forth but pushing it back just did not work, so I pushed it forth then pup it fell off. If you would want to buy my tooth…’

It is amazing how l still find great joy and new lessons in my parenting experience. I hope that in the coming months Pregnant magazine’s twin, BabyLove magazine, will continue to bring out the marvel that is our growing children and help us to invest even better in our children’s minds.

JoyC

END: PG25/5