Sabrina recently learned about Tootsie Pops in school. Her teacher sent an email explaining that she'd be using the lollipops to help kids understand what people see when they look at them. As she wrote,
"Everyone has something valuable inside that we might not see at first. The 'soft center' of people represents what we all have in common: feelings, hopes, dreams, fears, and insecurities. To feel safe and protected, people often use a hard outside to hide their soft core. However, a tough outer shell may prevent others from getting to know what is truly special about us. Making the effort to get to know what makes someone special on the inside helps us learn, grow and practice being good friends."
Hmmm, I thought. Interesting! And so creative.
Next thought: I wish Max could learn about stuff like that. As I hear about the social and life lessons Sabrina's picking up at school, I sometimes get wistful that Max isn't yet at that level of comprehension. If I tried to explain the imagery of hard on the outside/soft on the inside to him, it would go over his head.
That, I thought, was a Max issue. A cognitive delay. One of his things.
Then I had a little chat with Sabrina at bedtime.
Hmmm, I thought. Interesting! And so creative.
Next thought: I wish Max could learn about stuff like that. As I hear about the social and life lessons Sabrina's picking up at school, I sometimes get wistful that Max isn't yet at that level of comprehension. If I tried to explain the imagery of hard on the outside/soft on the inside to him, it would go over his head.
That, I thought, was a Max issue. A cognitive delay. One of his things.
Then I had a little chat with Sabrina at bedtime.
"Sabrina," I asked, "what did you learn about Tootsie Pops today?"
"Oh! That they come in lots of colors!" she said.
[Silence.]
"I got the chocolate one!" she added, excitedly.
Um.
Um.
"OK, but what did you learn about how Tootsie Pops and people are alike?"
"That they look like a person because they have, like, a big head!" she said.
And that was all I could get out of her.
Clearly, Sabrina hadn't absorbed that lesson, and this is a child with no known cognitive delays. In fact, she's pretty bright. In fact, Max is pretty bright, too.
All kids learn at their own pace: I know that, I do. I'm also aware that it does me (and the kids) no good to compare the way they learn or the way the two of them do anything, although sometimes I just can't help myself.
It took a lollipop lesson to remind me.
Photo/lilfishstudios
And that was all I could get out of her.
Clearly, Sabrina hadn't absorbed that lesson, and this is a child with no known cognitive delays. In fact, she's pretty bright. In fact, Max is pretty bright, too.
All kids learn at their own pace: I know that, I do. I'm also aware that it does me (and the kids) no good to compare the way they learn or the way the two of them do anything, although sometimes I just can't help myself.
It took a lollipop lesson to remind me.
Photo/lilfishstudios
