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August 31, 2007
Exploring
The other evening i was talking with a friend. She was telling me about a visit with her six year old nephew. He and his mom were visiting from the beach in Southern California. Most Southern California residents are a bit surprised over what's in the North State, but I hadn't considered what it might be like for a six-year-old. Adults are sort of used to the countryside being different and can adjust. A child who has never been around tall trees, creeks running through parks, and rock outcroppings could be a bit thrown. Sounds like this little guy was.
His aunt suggested he go play, but he seemed reluctant to do so. That's when she took matters into her own hands. "Let's go exporing," she said.
"What's that," asked her nephew.
"It's when you go out looking for new adventures. Let's explore these rocks," she said as she jumped from one rock to the other.
At first he was a bit unsure. As he got more used to the idea, he wanted to be in charge. "Let's go this way," he said.
"You can go that way, but I'm going this way," said his aunt choosing her direction a little differently but reaching the same spot. The boy now had a choice. He could insist they go his way, but knew he wasn't going to convince his aunt to do it his way, he could go his own way, or he could follow her. The first choice would have been an argument and he could see it. The last two meant he wouldn't have his way, but he could make a choice. This time he chose to follow her. Exploring was okay, but he'd give over to a guide. Next time he might try it on his own.
It wasn't long before he was sure about where he wanted to go. He was watching his feet as he jumped from rock to rock. Again, he wanted to go his way. His aunt then provided a new exploring skill-looking ahead. She pointed out that if he took the direction he was going, he would shortly come to a deadend-no more rocks. If he looked ahead and around he might find another way without hitting a deadend. A little careful planning and, sure enough, there was another way. Eureka, I found it.
His aunt admitted to me that she really wasn't all that keen on climbing around on rocks all afternoon, but, hey, look what good it could do. By the next day, it was obvious that the challenge to explore something new had worked. First thing in the morning, what did this six-year-old want to do? Explore more of course.
Sometimes just a little bit of time, energy, and creativity can light up a whole new world for a child.
Posted by Dr Joni at August 31, 2007 09:34 AM
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