People often say that life is a bit of ‘give’ and a bit of ‘take.’ I disagree. I would say that life is all ‘give’ and ‘take.’ I say this because, at the moment, my eleven and a half month old “Rascal” is constantly giving me things and taking them back. It’s the latest thing...
She hands me a block or any other toy, looks into my eyes and smiles, then quickly takes it back in case I was planning to run away with it. She sits eating her biscuits and pieces of pear at lunch. I must look hungry or forlorn because she feels the need to give them to me (after she has sucked on them and mooshed them) but is shocked if I eat them, and quickly reaches to snatch them back and into her mouth. She rips my sunglasses off my face and gives them back, only to take them straight away again. She does it with my hair too – though that is harder to give back (even though she tries to reattach it!) The most precious thing she gives is her dummy. She loves her dummy and she generously shares it with me on a regular basis. On the premise, of course, that I give it straight back!
She hands me a block or any other toy, looks into my eyes and smiles, then quickly takes it back in case I was planning to run away with it. She sits eating her biscuits and pieces of pear at lunch. I must look hungry or forlorn because she feels the need to give them to me (after she has sucked on them and mooshed them) but is shocked if I eat them, and quickly reaches to snatch them back and into her mouth. She rips my sunglasses off my face and gives them back, only to take them straight away again. She does it with my hair too – though that is harder to give back (even though she tries to reattach it!) The most precious thing she gives is her dummy. She loves her dummy and she generously shares it with me on a regular basis. On the premise, of course, that I give it straight back!
"There are some things that I am happy to have taken and given back. Kisses are one of these."
There are some things that I am happy to have taken and given back. Kisses are one of these. She takes my kisses and gets this serious look on her face, like she just knows she’s received something special. In slow motion, she moves her face closer, until it connects with mine. Then she smooshes her whole face on mine and that is her kiss. It is adorable!
It’s funny to see an immature form of sharing emerging from her sponge-like brain. She shares... but to a point. I will share it with you only if I get it straight back. I am looking forward to following her development to when she will share happily with others, even if they don’t give it back straight away, or ever.
Children are given to us so that we can teach them to grow into wonderful people. They ‘take’ all they can from us – absorbing it for later. But they don’t only take. More often than not, they teach us to become better than we are. They give back to us tenfold what we have given to them. I’m already seeing that in the short eleven and a half months I have had as a mother. I am seriously looking forward to the years ahead in my parenting journey of give and take.
Libby :)
It’s funny to see an immature form of sharing emerging from her sponge-like brain. She shares... but to a point. I will share it with you only if I get it straight back. I am looking forward to following her development to when she will share happily with others, even if they don’t give it back straight away, or ever.
Children are given to us so that we can teach them to grow into wonderful people. They ‘take’ all they can from us – absorbing it for later. But they don’t only take. More often than not, they teach us to become better than we are. They give back to us tenfold what we have given to them. I’m already seeing that in the short eleven and a half months I have had as a mother. I am seriously looking forward to the years ahead in my parenting journey of give and take.
Libby :)
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