On several occasions lately I have noticed how much my boys absorb from the world around them. How much they learn without me teaching.
For over a year now, Dale has played a silly little travel game his Aunt Kristin taught him. And anything learned from your 20-something aunt (or uncle, as it was in my case) is immediately cool and novel and worth remembering for the rest of your child-hood, if not your life, right? ;)
Anyway, the game goes like this: every time you see a yellow vehicle you shout "yogurt!" I suppose the point is to see who can spot each one first. Either way, Dale loves it and keeps an eye out for yellow cars (and orange, too.... "jello!") every time we are driving.
Guess what has happened over the course of the last few months? ALAN has learned to play.
Which simply means he recognizes the color yellow and a name for it.
Hello! Wake-up call! Time to be sure we're throwing around the names of some other colors! Although I'm still not sure whether to just leave 'yellow' as 'yogurt'. :)
And then there is Dale.
In addition to his regular Scripture memory, I like to have him memorize a poem every now and then.
A couple of months ago he learned "I Never Saw a Moor" by Emily Dickinson.
In the meantime, we read "Walking Through Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. I ended up memorizing it and either reading it or saying it aloud here and there fairly often. I even posted it on my blog here.
Recently Dale recited "I Never Saw a Moor" for me, and I couldn't remember if he had learned anything before that one, so I asked him if he knew any other poems.
Instead of answering, he just started in:
"Whose woods these are I think I know....."
He could say almost the whole poem - 16 lines! - without hesitation.
I guess it isn't that he could do it that impressed me so much, but that he did it without me 'helping' or even knowing he was learning.
What a huge reminder of how MUCH kids absorb what's around them, and how capable their minds are!
Thinking on these things has left me with 2 thoughts:
1 - I want to intentionally expose our boys to as much as I can. No, they won't learn it all, but the exposure itself will do so much!
2 - I want to be sooooo careful about.... what we .... expose our boys to! They've both proven in very handy reminders (a gentle nudging from God, maybe?) how much they absorb without us even trying.
Isn't the mind of a child a fascinating thing?
6 comments:
Great post! I completely agree.
We have our girls memorize one lenghthy portion of scripture a month and usually two - three poems, among other things.
And the caution for what we expose our children to...it takes no time for them to learn slang or expressions I don't care for. (Case in point: my oldest daughter saying "Whatever" in that sing song tone that drives me up the wall. She has heard a friend from church do this.)
I too am always marveling at what my children pick up and learn on their own. It is actually a BIG encouragment to me in homeschooling, because then I don't fret as much that "I am doing enough".
Yogurt for Yellow! LOL!
I can relate to this... and specifically to the "yogurt" game as I have been around Aunt Kristin.
1. Yogurt is not yellow. It is white.. unless you have lemon yogurt or banana. But that's not specifically "yogurt." I have asked on mutliple ocassions why.. and no one knows.
2. When Kaci was about three, there was a commercial with that song "Doncha Wish your girlfriend..." Yea great song for a three year old to know... and BAD GRAMMER on top of that!
Yes, the mind of a child is an amazing thing...a gift really. And the gift that we have to influence that mind is not only an awesome responsibilty but a wonder-filled joy!!
You are an inspiration to me Amy. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas. Thinking of you guys.
Hey Amy!
In response to my potty training post...
Those are *my* signs. I am not one of those "insticitive mommies". You know the ones where the moms ALWAYS understand what their child is saying when they babble.
Tiny Boy within the last six months just started to blossom with words. So I can now *understand* him, lol!
But Alan maybe ready if he is showing an intrest. My suggestion would be to just have "fun" with it for awhile. Have him sit on the potty as a "game". I remember when my oldest was in training phase, I would have her sit on the training potty while she watched her Baby Einstien Videos.
But don't hack down on the training aspect until *you* are ready, and you know Alan is.
One thing too...you don't want to put it off too long. As I have heard that four and five year olds *like* the attention that they get during diaper changing time, and that's why they won't train.
I know it can be so daunting, lol! But I know your a good mommy! ♥
((((hugs)))
I like the PEZ Dispenser idea! Cool! I have just been using Wilton Candy Melts, because that is what I had in the pantry, lol!
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