I've been reading a lot of blogs way too late into the night in the past week and I don't know about you, but I'm so keenly aware of the INCREDIBLY tough times many people are having right now. It may be the holidays and all the boatload of baggage that usually comes with over-anticipated get-togethers with family. Or it may be the new year on the horizon and the tendency that we have to take stock at these times of transition. Or the moon is full, the days are too dark, the economy sucks, life can be just plain hard sometimes and/or all of the above. Whatever the reasons, I'm craving a little lightness, a little giggle, or just something to make me think, hmmmmmmm… interesting (instead of OMG. HOW AWFUL.).
In psychology in general, and developmental psychology in particular, we often tend to focus or try to understand things that DON'T work with our kids, or have gone somewhat awry or are problematic. (It's certainly where a lot of the funding for our research goes — to projects that attempt to "solve" children's problems or enhance their performance/learning, etc.). But there are so many amazing things about our children that are worth wondering about, standing in awe of, or just plain laughing about. So tell me, dear readers:
What AMAZES you about your child? What makes you shake your head with wonder?
I'll go first:
- I am completely perplexed by the fact that one of my boys seems to be a carbon copy of his father and the other is almost exactly like me. Not just physically (although that's downright eerie too), but also personality-wise (I will save you the list of neuroses that each of our poor boys has inherited from their respective parent). Each boy seems to have taken 95% of one parent's genes. But that's NOT the way that genetic transmission works…
- I don't understand how or why my children wake up in the morning with bright smiles on their faces 95% of the time (can you tell I'm not a morning person?).
- Since 6 months old, one of my boys has a hysterical appreciation of slapstick comedy. I don't get it. His father TOTALLY does.
- My other boy has an almost bang-on precise intuition about what others are feeling (he asks CONSTANTLY: Why is he sad? What made him mad? Is she lonely?). His father TOTALLY does not get this.
Your turn…
I love how L is SO smart and strong-willed, but also sweet as anything and NOT willful. We just walked to and from her 18 month checkup, and once she stopped screaming from the walk there (it was 20 on the porch as we left, and I think the cold got into her incoming canines), she was her usual calm, compliant self, not flipping about anything the Dr checked.
I love how patient my 2 and a half year old can be, and how the two month old has the best smile I’ve ever sen.
This may not be what you’re looking for, but…
I’m amazed by how my 2.5 year old has started reading us stories, almost word for word. After only hearing the story a few times. Obviously, this is only for short, simple books- she is not some sort of story savant- but still, I think it is pretty cool.
The two month old is amazing me right now with big smiles and sweet babbling when we catch her eye.
How two kids that were identical from birth to around 3 months old (both physically and behaviourally), can be so different now at ages 3 and 5.
One is stocky, the other petite. One eats every single fruit there is other than bananas and kiwis, the other eats only bananas and kiwis. One sleeps peacfully all night, the other wakes at least 5 times a night. One is positively hypnotised by televsion and could spend hours in front of the damn thing, if I let him. The other will watch 5 minutes and then walk away bored.
When my husband and I hug each other, my 13 month old will smile at us and toddle over and hug one of our legs, which is hilarious.
He is raised in a bilingual household and it’s kind of funny how he only understands some words in Chinese, while other words he only understands in English. (i.e. he has NO idea about body parts in English, but will point to the correct part if you ask him in Chinese. Oh, except “tummy”, which he *only* gets in English.)
He kisses photographs of his grandparents.
He has one of these comfort blankie things with which he is inseparable if he is going through a sensitive period (i.e. now). Last night he wanted to bring it into the bath. I knew he would regret it but he also refused to let go of it. So Tiger went into the bath with baby, and sure enough, baby was MAD that Tiger got all wet and heavy with water. He gave me this look like, “What have YOU done??? Why is Tiger like this???? Tiger doesn’t love me anymore…waaaah…!” It was really kind of hilarious.
Even since my twins were born and my oldest, Nate, was nearly 4, he has been a great big brother. He seemed to get the twins as people before I did. He told them things as infants, not because its good to talk to babies, but because he felt they needed to know. Now they are about to turn 2 and he’s 5.5 and they still all have a great relationship. He is rarely jealous of them- although he sometimes tries to wrestle or do martial arts with them- but he usually isn’t too rough. The twins love to say, “No, Nate!”
These are GREAT!!! Keep ‘em coming!
@Cloud: not only is the story-”reading” AWESOME, but why would you think it wasn’t what I was looking for?! Anything, big or small, weird or sweet is PRECISELY what would be great to hear. Oh? Also, one of my kids had half of “The Missing Piece” memorized about a year ago (almost exactly 2.5) — he FREAKED my father out one day by going page by page and reciting it (with words he had no idea about what they meant).
E has been a wonder since he was born. He was a preemie and the first year or so he was always playing “catch up”. Lately he’s been gathering so many words, that really makes my day. And is infectious belly laugh, that would light up the world! He started singing ee-i-ee-i-oh when we read OMD yesterday- a new book/song for us (don’t know why we forget about some classics at our house).
And he LOVES his dad and is constantly pointing at pics saying “Dad-du” (which I also love that he has his own version of Daddy). Just wish he would wander around the house saying Mommy sometimes
I’m constantly amazed over the relationship between my boys. They are 3 1/2 years apart and have been so close. From the time of “kangaroo-care” on big brother’s tummy to today when he is showing the now one-year-old how to hold a marker the right way. And the baby gets it.
I love how my older son is so forgiving and never holds a grudge. He has a fierce temper, but the way he kiss and make up – and really means it – is amazing to me. I am much more of a slow-cooker: it takes forever to get me angry, but then I have a hard time letting go. I have a lot to learn from my son!
It is probably just a one-year-old thing, but the way he can be so focused, serious and concentrated on doing a task and yet have such incredibly soft, baby-big cheeks…. Ah!
My son, who is 2 1/2 is currently obsessed with trucks and cars, you know, boy stuff. He knows the “make” of cars. Like, we’ll be out on a walk and he’ll see a Honda Odyssey minivan in a driveway and he’ll say , “hey, that’s mommy’s car there.” But my car is a completely different color not to mention different year, yet his brain can still identify that it’s the same make. Totally weird. Because I pretty much can’t do that unless I can read the little name and logo on the back of a car that tells what kind of car it is.
Oh yeah, also, today he asked if I was “going on an airplane”. He was very concerned, thought I was going away. I said no and asked why he was thinking that out of the blue. Then he said, “mommy, don’t wear that shirt!” Well, would you believe that the shirt I had on was the same one I wore when I left for a business trip weeks ago?
My daughter, also 2 1/2, lately wants absolute clarification regarding how I’m feeling. If I speak with a firm tone of voice, she’ll say, “mommy, you angeee? or you just frusssrated?” and if she changes behaviour based on something I’ve asked her to do, she’ll say, “mommy, you happy now? is it okay?” I’ve heard that 3 year olds begin to care a lot about their parents’ approval, but this is a very new thing, and quite interesting!
I’m just amazed at everything! How quickly the last 7 months have gone, and how every morning my son wakes up with a new skill. I wake up wondering, what will he master today?
@Julie: That’s so interesting. Your daughter says EXACTLY (like, VERBATIM) what one of my sons did at the same age.
She’s 7 months and everything she does amazes me. She helps when getting dressed, even putting up one leg then the other for socks. Her core strength is spectacular. Her smile and giggle are infectious, especially when she’s giggling because of something her Dad did. How she wants to see and participate in everything. And how she lights up when she sees her favourite blanket. And how her best smiles are for us.
Our 2 1/2 yr old son only gets his sou-sou in his crib, on long car trips, and on airplanes. Last night, at the tail-end of a protracted road trip, I reminded him of this. When I finished the list of places he could have his soother, he added with a grin, “…and helicopters?” Fantastic.
I am amazed at how well my older child has embraced being a big brother (the sibling was born the day after his third birthday) – I keep waiting for the “baby is boring!” or “when does he go back to the hospital?” I am amazed at how he sits for 30 minutes at a time poring over a book. He makes up stories, reads the story as memorized, and sits there trying to actually read the letters by sounding things out. His world must seem so different now that he is on the cusp of literacy, as all the letters around him are beginning to make sense.
I am amazed at the baby for recognizing his brother and trying to do everything he does, running after him (early walker), snuggling against his brother so that he could see the book being read. It makes me smile how he would be zooming across the floor for a toy, but stop mid-zoom to check out a book that happened to be in the way for a few seconds before continuing on. How he knows that mornings are with daddy and mommy sleeps in (if mommy tries to take over because daddy wants to sleep in, he is very upset), and evenings are with mommy and it’s snuggle time. How he loves peekaboo and initiates the game on his own, or initiates a game of tag with his brother.