Sitting at table

Yesterday we had our five year old grandson to spend the day. This means, of course, that he needs a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack, as well as lunch.

Like most small kids, he's more interested in playing than sitting at table, although he does this fairly willingly. What I noticed, though, is that he sat sideways, as if ready to take off whenever the impulse hit. So I made sure he brought his legs into alignment with his body so that he was sitting 'properly', as my dear mother would have said.

And I made sure he asked to be excused (please) before he got down.

These small disciplines are helpful to children.

Another thing, more for you to attend to than the child, is to be sure the plates or bowls they're eating from are directly in front of them.

The ritual of lighting a candle and saying a short grace will provide nourishment to your little one's soul as well as the body.

Music and Mozart

Last summer, I took our two grandsons, then aged three and five, to an introduction to orchestral strings i.e., violin, viola, cello and double bass. The four young women who presented were fun and enthusiastic, although some of the information they brought was, in my opinion, too intellectual for their young audience. And a little more Mozart rather than modern composers might have been good. Still...

After I took the boys home, I went to say 'goodbye' to the little one. He put his arm around my neck and said softly and sweetly, 'Thank you for taking me to a special place."

I was touched, and got to thinking about the great role of comfort and blessing classical music plays in my life, especially when it's live. Yes, I enjoy some pop and jazz too, but for sheer soul nourishment, there's nothing like classical.

Now, I didn't always feel that way. Apart from music to dance to such as I heard in my ballet lessons, I mostly considered classical music as boring and even depressing. But I had to endure because, when I was at ballet school, we were regularly taken to the London Festival Hall to hear rehearsals. And thus, slowly, slowly, began my appreciation and enjoyment of music.

Bringing up children means laying the foundation for later life. Hopefully, a good one. You'll want to provide them with strength and the ability to face whatever challenges lie ahead. But you can also steer them in the direction of what will provide them with an inexaustible source of pleasure and delight. Music. All you have to do is provide a certain amount of exposure. Even if they don't respond particularly well at the time, the seeds will be planted and will surely bear fruit.

At least, that's my experience. For fun, take a look at this video and watch especially for the expression on the baby's face!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gww9_S4PNV0&feature=youtu.be&a