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

Mind images

I seldom watch TV. This is mainly because, like alcoholic drinks, they interfere with my meditative life. And that's much more important to me than any television program. But also, I have difficulty in getting rid of the images. I noticed this also on my recent flights where I watched a couple of films. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the back-of-the-seat video screens are so close to you, so 'in your face'. And, incidentally, I noticed many people who were sleeping but who hadn't turned off their screens. Mostly I think it's because it's not always so obvious how to do this. But I felt sorry for one young man who, to get away from that unhealthy light, had pulled his blanket over his head.

So what has this to do with small children? As you probably know, the best thing is not to expose them to any kind of screens whatsoever. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more difficult as more and more technology is invented and we make more use of it. Which is not wrong, of course.

Just try to be as aware as possible and to make the exposure as harmless as possible.

I'm reminded of the anecdote told years ago by Francis Edmunds, founder of Emerson College in England. He loved the way one young boy said, "I prefer radio to TV because the pictures are so much better!"

Good toys R worth it

For Christmas we bought the boys some Stockmar watercolour paints. Then I bought a set of wooden houses etc and a set of three simple puzzles for them to play with when they come to us. The Blue-eyed boy wanted to take the former home. I explained they were for here and asked what he'd play with if he took them home. "The old toys" was the answer, said in an 'obviously' kind of voice.

Good wooden toys can be expensive. But they're worth it. Many of ours are already 'second generation', and will one day be handed on so other children can play with them and enjoy them. Here's what the Blue-eyed boy created when he came to spend the day with us on Monday.

And as for the puzzles, Curly-Locks was delighted to discover he could do them (with a bit of a struggle) 'all by hisself'.

What's the use of doing jig-saw puzzles you ask? What I can tell you is that their dad is an expert at packing a whole lot of stuff into the trunk of the car!

Sometimes, you need to be a detective.

Life is settling down after all the varied experiences of Christmas and the Thirteen Holy Nights. To reconnect with my grandsons after having been away for five weeks, I first had the Blue-eyed Boy for the day, and then Curly-Locks.

The Blue-eyed Boy started complaining that his hands were itchy. I wondered why, and then remembered that when I visited the washroom I'd seen the toilet brush lying on the floor, out of its holder, lying on the floor. So I asked, "When you went to pee, did you touch the toilet brush? Because if you did, it's got chemicals on it."

Yes, I use an 'eco' cleaner, but still...

And yes, he's supposed to wash his hands each time, but I hadn't checked.

He answered, "I knocked it over by accident." Then he thought for a minute or two and admitted, "Maybe I did touch it."

Aha! So we washed his hands properly, put on some cream and all was well.

Sometimes we grown-ups need to be detectives!

A Simple Gift

I swept the kitchen floor this evening. As I enjoyed the rhythmical, calming activity, I got to thinking how I regret never having found a nice, small broom to give to the Blue-Eyed boy or Curly-Locks. Its really a shame. Yes, I discovered a couple of different models in the toy shops but always so unnecessarily cold, and stiff bristly. And artificial. Just couldn't convince myself I wanted to spend my money on them.

What I should have done was gone to the hardware store, bought a smallish broom and simply cut down the handle. That's what Helen did for her boys. They loved their brooms and felt proud to be able to help.

Sometimes it's the simplest gifts/toys that are the most successful.

Picking up a thread

The title I've just written reminds me of my mother. She had a few superstitions and one of them was that if you picked a thread off someone else's clothing, that would mean good luck. Provided they didn't thank you!

Many's the time, however, that I've thanked my mother. You could say I 'got lucky', but it's far far more than that.

In any case, it's about parents that I want to talk today.

Recently I wrote about the karmic connections children have with their parents. What I want to bring to you now is one of the first ideas (I would call it a truth, but leave it to you to live with for a while and see if it resonates for you) I heard about when I came into this way of Magical Motherhood. This is that children choose their parents. While still in the heavenly world, we see which mother and which father will best serve our needs and the development steps we need to take in our forthcoming incarnation. And we help bring the couple together!

Now of course, none of us is perfect, so not everything we as parents give to our children, not all the ways we treat them, or the habits and traits we pass on can ever be ideal. Nevertheless, it can be affirming to know that we are the chosen ones, the couple who can best guide and bring up our children.

So, dear readers, when you feel you fall short, remember this and take comfort.