What Was I Thinking?!

September 28th, 2012 by Dionna | 5 Comments
Posted in Children, Eclectic Learning, Gentle/Positive Discipline, natural parenting, Preschoolers, Toddlers

Welcome to the September edition of Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival: Exploring and Learning.

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival hosted by The Positive Parenting Connection and Authentic Parenting. This month our participants are writing about this exploring and learning! Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I had this whole post planned about how Kieran has begun to engage in illegal arts and crafts activities. In the past couple of weeks, he’s glued tissue paper to my walls, scribbled on several things with crayons (including a door, several plastic containers, the inside of the van, and his car seat – twice), cut a bedspread with his scissors, puddled glue on the carpet and emptied another container of glue on the patio, painted the side of the house . . . the list grows longer each day.

After each incident, the sentence that runs through my head (and sometimes comes out of my mouth) is “what was he thinking?!”

Then I was going to share a story or two from when I was a child – moments when my own mother would have been thinking the same thing about me. Like the time when I was seven and tried to walk home from school and ended up wandering alone and lost. Surely my mom wondered what was running through my head when she found me crying.

I was going to share those stories, but then we went shoe shopping.

What, pray tell, does shoe shopping have to do with contraband sparkle glue or lost children? Allow me to explain.

Kieran has this pair of tennis shoes. He loves them. They are Stride Rites, and he insists they make him run faster than anyone.

 

We bought them about a year (or more) ago. (ahem)

Kieran has these three friends, all almost exactly the same age. The four of them like to switch shoes. Every time they are together, shoes are swapped. And then a couple of months ago, at least one of the three other boys outgrew everyone’s shoes.

I didn’t think anything of it. (cough cough)

In a stroke of luck (I didn’t know it was lucky at the time), Kieran’s second pair of tennis shoes – the ones he wears to get messy – finally kicked the bucket. (heh) It was time, I decided, to go get him new tennis shoes. The Stride Rites could be the old, messy pair.

The Stride Rites that are size 9.5.

We went to the Stride Rite store and tried on a 10.5.

“I can’t get them on!,” said Kieran, struggling with the new pair of sneakers.

Me: “What do you mean you can’t get them on? Here, let’s make sure you have them loosened up.”

Nope . . . I couldn’t shove his feet in either. We looked like Cinderella’s stepsisters with a pair of sneakers. So we grabbed a pair of size 11.

Kieran: “These are too big, my toe doesn’t touch.”

Me: “Honey, your toes aren’t supposed to touch, let me feel. . . . Hmm, those fit right now, there’s not much room to grow. Let’s try on an 11.5.”

Kieran {whining}: “But my toe doesn’t touch!”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I found out that Kieran’s feet have been cramped in his tennis shoes for who knows how long. We bought him shoes two sizes bigger.

What was I thinking?!

Sometimes, we just don’t think. Neither do our kids. But at least when Kieran is exploring his boundless creativity with art, he is building new pathways in his brain. He is developing complex thinking skills, engaging in sensory experiences, discovering cause and effect and a myriad of other skills.¹

I was just ignoring the fact that my child’s feet had grown.

I had this whole post planned about how my child doesn’t think before he makes a mess. Then I discovered a mess of my own.

I changed the post. I got out some new art supplies. And I bought Kieran two new pairs of shoes.

Visit The Positive Parenting Connection and Authentic Parenting to find out how you can participate in the next Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• What Was I Thinking? – Does your child ever do something that makes you wonder, “what was he thinking?!” Dionna at Code Name: Mama had a post planned about how her child doesn’t think when he pulls out the art supplies. Then she discovered a mess of her own.
• Letting Go – Sutra at One Little Bean writes a blog about attachment parenting and the beauty of life through little wide eyes.
• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares 50 Ways To Explore and Connect To Nature With Your Children. If you are looking for some inspiration on getting outside with your children, this is the post for you! You can also find Hybrid Rasta Mama on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
• Turning 2 | Learning Gifts for My Favorite Toddler – That Mama Gretchen is preparing for her daughter’s 2nd birthday with a round up of her favorite learning toys and activities.
• Play & Discover: 6 Learning Activities For Tots & Preschoolers - Ariadne over at Positive Parenting Connection is sharing 6 activities that are fantastic for toddlers and preschoolers to work on cognitive, motor, social and language skills, while having lots of fun!
• An Unschooler’s Take on Lessons – Laura at Authentic Parenting experiences inner conflict about lessons and learning.

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