When my son was born and during his infant months, I thought he could not possibly get any more adorable! But then he grew a little, and got even more adorable and fascinating! He is constantly running, climbing, crawling, touching and tasting everything, taking out for a walk his daddy’s shoes or as you can see below: packing up his suitcase and moving out. His behaviour amazes me, fortunately, so I set out to better understand why he does the things he does.
His reality is not mine. He cannot yet distinguish between his imaginary world and the real world, as any adult or older child can.
He is learning cause and effect by playing and experimenting. He is amazed by the things I don’t even pay attention anymore. “If I throw the ball down the stairs, it will jump!” “Why does the feather float in the air but this rock won’t?”
His attention span is minimal. One minute he is profoundly playing with a toy in the park, then a dog walks by and he starts chasing it. He is impulsive and easily distracted, which comes very handy under some circumstances.
Everything is new to him. Imagine seeing a cat for your first time. Puffy, meowing, pink tongue that scratches a bit when it licks you. His world is filled with every day miracles. Maybe it’s the snow, the traffic stop changing lights, a construction truck, a butterfly, his brain processes all these for the first time.
Talking is still a mystery to him. He only says a handful of words yet but sometimes he sounds and looks as if he’s having a full conversation, whether with himself, myself, his mom, or others. I can’t always understand what he’s trying to tell me, and I can see him grabbing me by the hand and trying to get me to do what he is trying to tell me to do.
Small achievements are huge for him. I bought for him some fancy and not so cheap toys. But in his eyes, nothing matches up a bottle and a bottle cap. To watch his so concentrated, trying to put the cap back on the bottle, and the joy on his face when he manages that is absolutely priceless.
There’s definitely nothing like this parenting journey. Even though sometimes it is frustrating, messy, repetitive, it is always amazing!