Aaron's Thoughts on Child Psychology
Children are geniuses. No, seriously! The rate at which children grasp new concepts far surpasses any of us "grown-up" morons. Really, I still can't quite figure out how some things work, no matter how hard I try. Differentials (both mechanical and mathematical), the internet infrastructure, and oboes are all things that are still lost on me. But, between the ages of 18 months and 6 years, it is estimated (by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan in 2002) that children learn an average of 7 new words a day. A little bit of quick multiplication suggests that, on an average child's 6-year birthday, he or she can not only say "Thank you for these wonderful gifts" but can also vocalize 11,499 other words in the English language.
However, as impressive as this example may be, I'm not writing today just to point out how incredible our children are, but rather how much help they need during this learning process. One of the most influential learning methods seen in children is the classic "trial & error". While it is a quick and easy way to learn, the process can be comical to watch at times. Read on for examples:
Nate is a smart boy who usually makes surprisingly logical choices (unless we're talking about potty training.) So, when he informed us that he stuck a bead in his nose, I was doubtful that he was being serious. I half-thought/half-hoped that he had seen a story on TV about a similar situation. I started to doubt that, though, when he took the liberty of repeatedly pointing to the problem and it was in the same nostril every time. I doubted myself even further when I remembered that they had recently broken one of Sammi's bracelets and I couldn't be sure I found all of the nearly-clear beads. Come on, though, could he really have put it up there? Why?! Then I remembered my childhood nasal exploits and grabbed the flashlight and tweezers.
Yeah, if I had been in his place, I probably would've done it too.
Recently, one of our friends was kind enough to purchase and ship to us the KitchenAid mixer we've been lusting over for ages (thanks again, Jonathan!) The mixer came with the usual assortment of packing materials, including some decently sized chunks of styrofoam. When I went to work the next morning, I considered picking them up but decided instead to see if the kids had learned (through trial & error) that messes make Daddy mad. Well, they hadn't, but the damage wasn't too severe; just a light dusting of snow in the playroom. However, what I hadn't seen then came to light today when I changed Sammi's messy diaper and discovered that styrofoam is not dissolved in stomach acid (EUREKA!!) Again, I had to stop what I was doing and imagine myself as a 1-year old. Would I have eaten the styrofoam? You bet. I won't subject you to the mess I saw. Here's a picture of sweet, curious Sammi instead:
My message today is a Public Service Announcement to all the parents out there. Keep an eye on those kids of yours: They may know 11,505 words, but they still have your genes.
Labels: mommy blogging
posted by Aaron at
6:38 PM
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3 Comments
3 Comments:
Glad you got the bead out. Stuff up kids' noses is scary. And I think at this point, I'm more surprised when Sammi *doesn't* eat something strange she finds on the floor.
13 April, 2008 14:23
A friend bought you a KitchenAid??? LOLcat tells me to ask "I can haz frend liik jawnithin?"
I'm sure I stuffed things into personal places where they had no business, but I don't remember any stories. I was told about turning my eyelids wrongside in so that my eyelashes were scraping my eyeballs. I screamed bloody murder, but it wasn't until someone looked really closely and noticed that my eyes looked strange that my folks figured out the problem. Have one of your kids call me, and I'll explain to them how to do it.
13 April, 2008 22:18
I was waiting for you to tell us that someone stuffed the styrofoam up the their nose. My daughter did that one time and that is when I found out that if you blow in one nostril it will come out of the other nostril. Of course, we had to pay a doc to show us that trick.
14 April, 2008 11:51
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