How a child learns about how to interact with her external environment, translated…
After lunch, my a little over-a-year-old granddaughter, Ann came into my bedroom, wanted to climb onto the bed to play with me. But, being only almost three feet tall, she couldn’t, manage to climb up to a bed that’s almost two feet tall, she’d lifted out her chubby hands, wanted me to carry here, I shook my head, told her, “climb the bed yourself!”, she looked at how high the bed was, knew it would be, next to impossible for her, extended her arms at me again, and I’d, insisted that she should, find a way of her own, to get onto my bed.
Seeing how I wouldn’t help her out, she could only, find a way herself. She’d, attempted to grab onto the sheets herself, with her right hand, steadying herself on the bed, then, suddenly, she’d, flipped onto my bed! I’d immediately, applauded her, tell her she was, amazing.
After she arrived atop my bed, she’d, immediately, gone toward my dressing mirror, and curiously, looked, examined those makeup. Ann was interested in those tiny bottles of perfumes, and scented things, she’d picked up a delicate hexagon bottle and started sniffing after she’d twisted the cap open, then a flower started blooming out of her smiles, with her dimples too. Seeing that I’d not objected, she’d, reached for the bottles, and placed all of them, in her arms. As she’d, gotten her armful of “winnings”, she saw me nod at her, agreeing that she could, take them all, but at this time, she’d not, dared, climb off my bed anymore.
Ann was hesitant a bit, and shortly, she’d, put the “winnings” aside, then, did how I taught her to get off of the leather chair yesterday, and, successfully, flipped herself off my bhed, then, carried all of her wanted bottles like they were, treasures out of my bedroom.
After nap, she’d eaten a piece of seaweed cookie I handed to her. She became surprised after the first taste, and wanted another piece, and found that I was, doing my Buddhist rituals, and she’d, not made a sound, stood by my side, and, modeled after my behaviors.
After I’m done with my rituals, I’d, handed her another cookie, and told her that she could, only have three pieces a day, that she is only allowed, one more piece in the eveings; in order to emphasize this, I’d, used my index finger, and gestured a “one” to her. And, in the evenings, she’d, come to me again, and, held her chubby little index finger out at me, and I’d, given her another piece of cookie, and she’d started, chuckling happily. On that day, Ann never came, and asked me for a fourth piece.
Although she was articulate enough yet, Ann already understood what the adults mean, she knew what she could take, and followed the rules, never took more than she was, supposed to. Ann who’s not even two yet, had taught me, that I shouldn’t, strip away the ability of learning new things from a young child, and that the adults must follow that rule of “keeping to your words”.
And so, this, is how young the children started being, socialized, how they learned, to interact with the adults in their live, and children are, picking things up, like that little girl I met awhile ago when I went to get my haircut, she wasn’t one yet, and couldn’t speak yet, but she knew how to convey what she wanted me to help her to, to lift her up to the chair beside mine, so, do NOT underestimate your young children, parents! They are, a HELL of a lot more intelligent, than we can give them credit for.
Life, the Obstacle Course 