Lifelong Learning: Through children's eyes

My two youngest daughters came out of their room a while back after playing Barbies and they were both just sobbing. They weren’t fighting or arguing—they were so sad and they were comforting each other. I asked them what was wrong. They said that while playing Barbies something had gone terribly wrong. I expected them to tell me that “somehow” Barbie’s head or arm had broken off. Instead, Gracie replied, “Barbie lost her job and got in a car wreck.” I was so confused and I asked them, “Wait ladies, I don’t understand. When you play barbies aren’t you in charge of what happens to her? Can’t you just get her a different job with better hours and pay and a new car, and she didn’t get hurt in the car wreck afterall?” Without blinking and with Madi shaking her head NO, Gracie said, “That’s not how it works.” And they went into the kitchen to eat their snack. I’m still confused but maybe there is a message in there. Maybe we need to remember that life and people are precious.

Children are the best. They see the world from completely different perspectives than adults most of the time. My nine-year old calls it as she sees it. She recently told me that “everyone has ‘stuff’ they deal with—my brother has ADHD, my sister has some learning and emotional disabilities and as for me, I am a diva and I am spoiled.” She also tried to use “big people words”—sometimes it works and sometimes I just run with it. The other day she told me that even if it’s dark your eyes will “evaluate” to the darkness. I looked at her and said, “Oh, ok, well if not, we need to ‘acclimate’ out of there as fast as we can.”

When at the doctor’s, the eye doctor’s or the dentist, when they ask if she has any allergies she will say, without missing a beat, “yes, bugbites and if I get one I might have a relergical action and swell up.” She told me one day that she was overwhelmed with third grade and she was going to change her name and start speaking “China.” One day she saw the revolving shelf in our kitchen and asked what it was called. I said, “Lazy Susan.” She said, with a sad face, “Sorry Mom, I will try to work harder, but my name isn’t Susan.” Two weeks after she had surgery for a broke knee (scootering accident), she was sitting on the couch, looking at her scar and out of the blue she says, “Why would anyone ever say, ‘Break a leg?’ Not cool. ‘Good luck’ is what you say, period!”

I saw a sign that read, “It’s amazing how the simplest things are so much more enjoyable when doing them with you. Just having you by my side & your company makes doing literally anything in this world exciting.” (Quote by L. Hennessey) This quote made me think about my daughter and her best friend.

Let me set up this next story a bit: The last 26 days of elementary school, the school counts down by doing activities based on a letter of the alphabet. I took my daughter and her bestie lunch on “E”-Day. At her school, you were allowed to wear sweats on “E” day, which of course, stands for exercise. They saw their chicken nugget meals and her friend says, “Look, she got us the six-piece meal instead of four!” My daughter answered back, “good thing I’m wearing my extra-size pants!”

Throughout the year they take swimming lessons together. They were in level three together. My daughter passed and her friend did not. When it came time to sign up for the next session, my daughter insisted she stay in level three with her friend and told me swimming is important, besties are more important. They both passed, and went into level four. This time, her friend passed and my daughter didn’t. Without hesitation, her friend stayed with her and they are both happy and in level five at the moment. I think they have it all figured out. We need to stop, take stock and do they same with childlike enthusiasm. Have a great day!

 

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