Yesterday, in the midst of a mundane lunchtime, my daughter exhibited a beatiful moment of personal creativity that inspired me to keep the TV off so that her brain can be on. She’s done lots of imagining playthings, from the baby hippos she finds in various locations and picks up and carries, to taking her baby doll or kitty to the toilet and scrupulously wiping thier bottoms, but this new one just blew me away.
She was eating a quesadilla, and as she bit into it, made her sign (combination noise and sign) for elephant. She was letting me know that it looked like an elephant – as she had bit into it, quite unexpectedly I assume, the shape of an elephant trunk.
I just love these moments when she creates a new world for herself and then enjoys it. Much as she has created worlds of toys from basic stuff in our house – the old plastic easter eggs have become home for coins, which she can then hide and discover over and over, the sticks at the playground become birthday candles for blowing out and licking frosting off.
It reminds me why I work so hard at not having TV available and why I choose toys that some days seem boring, but seem to bring out the best in her.
—erika
You are making great choices for her. Follow your instincts and listen to your inner self. Congratulations Mama!