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What's Your Child's Job?
Thursday, January 13, 2011 by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
Happy New Year!
Yes, I realize this holiday passed nearly two weeks ago. I run a little late on most things these days. I call it my "kid exemption."
Did you make any resolutions this year? These are still some of my favorites.
What about your child? Did you think about what their goals should be for this year? I look at my little munchkin and know in a year she will have changed dramatically.
What about your little one? Think about it; in one year they may move from cooing to talking, sitting to standing, walking to hopping, etc. It's thoughts like this that reminds us that development is nothing short of amazing.
It's times like these that remind me of what my kiddo's "job" is. I gave her a job description early: "to learn, grow, and have fun." Simple? Actually, her work is pretty complex stuff.
Each day brings new opportunities and new challenges as she learns and acquires new skills. How much support will she need to successfully navigate a new situation? Will she need an introduction via a book or simple explanation? Will she need to be held, to have her hand held, or to simply know that I am near as she navigates a new task?
When it comes to play, she may need a good model or simply time to explore and experiment. A model may come from a peer (another child) or from me. Play may (should) be guided by more questions than answers.
And, fun? Well, shouldn't all of our jobs be somewhat fun? I used to work for a person who often said, "If you're not having fun, re-evaluate or change direction." What great advice. What a better world it would be if we all enjoyed our "jobs" a bit more. Sometimes, I take parenthood a bit too seriously. Sometimes, it is hard. Sometimes, I am tired. The same is probably true for my kiddo. It's times like these I remind myself that we need to dance and tickle more and sweat the small stuff less.
Learn. Grow. Fun. It's a tough task, but an awesome job for my child.
What are your expectations for your child in 2011?
