The really amazing thing about children is how accurately they see the world. I know that it may not seem like they view the world with great accuracy...seeing as how they fervently trust in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny...but really, there is something genuine about the way children absorb and relate information. Not a day goes by when I don't listen to one of my children say something and think, "Holy Cow. I have the opportunity to learn from this and to shape the way they see the world"....or...."Holy Cow. How do I explain this without causing my heart to palpitate?"....or..."Holy Cow. Did that really just come out of my child's mouth?"
My children don't look at an empty box and see garbage. Layton sees something he can make into a basketball goal. Ella sees something to pretend is a desk. Hadley sees a blank canvas waiting to be decorated. It's inspiring to give them something I would normally throw away and see what happens.
Ella recently told me that I "make rainbows" when I smile. How is that for defining a child's love for her mother? As her mother it is my job to be the calm after any storm she weathers. I have a responsibility to be her rainbow each and every day. She's knows that.
Layton told me about a friend of his at school who has a girlfriend.
Me: "Do you have a girlfriend, Layton?"
Layton: "No."
Me: "Do you want one?"
Layton: "No, I don't want them kissing my lips or putting their tongue on my tongue."
He had this exact same conversation with J a few days prior to this. I'm a little concerned.
At the dinner table each evening, we discuss every one's day. Sometimes, what the children think they learn is priceless.
Me: "What did you learn at school today?"
Layton: "We learned about the Presidents."
Me: "Which Presidents did you study?"
Layton: "Both of them. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln."
Me: "We've had a few more than just those two, son."
Ella wanted to enter a contest to win tickets to the Storybook Ball. I took her to the library to drop off her form and let her go inside by herself. She came back out in mere minutes with a big grin on her face.
Me: "Ella, you did a great job dropping off your entry for the Storybook Ball ticket giveaway!"
Ella: "It wasn't Mission Impossible."
And yes, she rolled her eyes as she said it. So I cranked up Sabotage (the Beastie Boys) as loud as possible; put on my sunglasses; rolled the windows down; held my hand up in the shape of a gun; and ran over a curb leaving the public library. Ella might be afraid to make a sarcastic comment now because I tend to react inappropriately. And childlike.
They see the world. I try my hardest to let them draw their own conclusions. They are little humans, and in my opinion, they have a right to experience life without me trying to control it. It is amazing to see what conclusions they draw on their own.