The Lighter Side of Parenthood
"Calvin" logo from
The Graphics Station
Some light, and not so
light, thoughts on
parenthood;
cartoons
; a few jokes.
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MISCHIEF IS THE IMPETUS FOR HUMAN PROGRESS...
by
Steph
I don't care what the philosophers might say to the contrary.
Yesterday, James was
at his 9-mo check up having a developmental work-up, of sorts. Dr. S. crumpled a
tiny piece of paper, set it on his own palm,and held it out to James. Good test of
fine motor skills, right? My son, who has a powerful magnetic attraction to every stray
kernel of popcorn, tiny seashell, and rubber band in a 100-mile radius - my son,
from whose throat I recently disgorged a coin (thinking: "I CHECKED that floor,
I CHECKED!!!) - this baby showed no interest in demonstrating his fine pincher grasp
to seize that small (potentially chokable) object that was being offered to him in plain
view of three of his elders! Well...finally, he did it.
Dr. S. expressed surprise that James has not yet pulled to a stand - a standard
accomplishment for healthy 9-mo-old babies. I'm tempted to place a pile
of electrical cords on the sofa. After all, what he lacks is the right incentive.
What Goes On In Their Heads?
copyright 1999 by
John Ward
Truly amazing. It's the only way to describe children.
From birth to one year old, they drool, coo, cry, etc.
When they turn four, they're questioning who God is,
where He exists and what happens when you die. Little Platos,
Aristotles and Socrates, I suppose.
It's a wonder how a child can go from one to four and develop
so quickly. It's almost a little intimidating.
One day, my daughter and I were driving to church and she
was asking me a plethora of questions about God. She finally
asked, "Where is God?"
I gave the standard answer parents
give, "God is everywhere, Sarah. He's in nature.
He's all around you." But then I interjected,
"Sarah, we're talking about a lot of abstract things now,
and I don't think you're quite old enough to understand."
She looked at me dead in the eye and said, "Yes, I do." Bang!
Daddy goes down in flames! Perhaps I'm the one who's not
quite old enough to understand.
But it's not just God the kids ask about ... no!
Giving the usual parental answers about God sometimes
seems simple compared to the curve balls kids can throw you:
"Daddy, how do you make a video game?"
"It's a computer program, Sweetheart. People write the program."
"Show me how," she responds. Strike One!
Yes, parents want to be able to answer their kids questions.
It's evident the children's minds are turning at an incredible
rate. You can tell, for their mouths move at an incredible
rate. My daughter can talk without taking a breath from 7 a.m.
until she falls asleep at night. For a person with such a
small frame, she has an incredible lung capacity.
She has such a range of topics within her daily speech
itinerary, from deep, insightful questions about death and
heaven, to trivial comments on Mario World and Blue's Clues.
Regardless of the topic, it is important to her that she be
heard. And realizing this, it is tough to balance the
parenting act. One cannot listen to a child 12 hours a day,
and there comes a time to say, "Enough!"
But it has to be done delicately. The topics she reveals to
me should not be
smothered, for her brain is developing at an astronomical rate and she needs the encouragement and attention. But on the other hand, I also have to maintain my sanity.
I have heard parents say they long for adult conversation. Not I. After the barrage of questions throughout the day, I long for no conversation. Silence! AAAAaaaaaaaah.
CARTOONS
 |
(NO REFUGE IS INVIOLABLE)
 |
"LOOK, ISN'T THAT THE CUTEST THING? HE'S LEARNING TO FEED
HIMSELF!!"
 |
"(OH MY GOD...)
I THINK WE SHOULD GET RID OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR!!"
 |
"SIX MONTHS OLD! AMAZING! YOU'RE GETTING TO BE SUCH A BIG
BOY NOW! YOU'RE ADORABLE!"
|
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(I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO MY DAUGHTER TOO MANY TIMES!
IT SEEMS THE ONLY TIME AN ADULT ADDRESSES HER IT IS TO SAY,
"AND DO YOU LIKE YOUR LITTLE BROTHER?")
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