The next one

He demands paper and crayons at 6:30 in the morning. I remind him that my parental duties do not commence until 7 a.m. that he is on ‘self service’ time. He pouts, stamps his foot and then scuttles off to retrieve necessary supplies. I am impressed, a sterling start to the day, I should do this more often, even when I’m awake, as it’s important to instigate independence. I can justify my own laziness with this ulterior and superior motive.

I pour coffee and observe him working away at the table where he is making a very convincing attempt at sitting. I keep my other eye on the second hand, as ‘sitting’ is another skill that I’m supposed to be encouraging. [translation = monitoring] I can’t count this particular session because he’s more kneeling/ slouching/ draped/ one foot on the floor. I don’t know how to define it, but it does involve the use of a chair, which is good enough for me. If I was a good mother I would step in and guide him, help his body move into an approximate copy of a seated person, which would help his body learn by going through the motions, so he could practice improving his posture which would increase his body strength. [translation = kinesthetic learning, if your body does it often enough, it gets a ‘feel’ for it] If I want him to learn how to sit then I have to teach him, prompt him. This is because of how we learn.



Say you want to be a ballet dancer or a long distance runner? You read every book available on the subject, research the web for tips, talk to people about their experiences. However, until you actually try and move your body in the manner you have theoretically learned about, and then practiced, often, you with not be a ballet dancer or a long distance runner.


It’s the same with sitting. This is a skill he needs to learn, but if I try and teach him right now, it would be a trade off. He’d scamper away, abandon the picture attempt. Attempt a picture or attempt to learn to sit? and I opt for a picture. He’s in his planet phase of pictures, always the same picture, drawn in order, with no deviations, more of a diagramme really, with labels. Prior to the planets he drew frames from his Gameboy screen, the same frame, the same characters, colour and order. I liked the rainbow one’s best, where the labels were the same colour as the lines. The rainbows seemed hopeful, cheerful and full of artistic potental, but I think I’ve come to terms with the technical drawer instead.

The furniture is better suited to him too!