Thursday, March 31, 2011

No Adults Allowed Unless Accompanied by Children

When my oldest son was two, and I was pregnant with another son, I went home to visit my mother in San Francisco in the spring time. We went to Childrens Playground (now renamed after a prominent and wealthy SF family that gave money for it's redoing - as if one could own a playground...) in Golden Gate Park. It is a beautiful spot (and the redoing was amazing and preserved the much loved concrete slides that I remember going down - on cardboard). If you haven't been, and ever happen to be in SF, you should go.

As we wandered around, I saw a sign that said:

NO ADULTS UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY CHILDREN,

followed by an ordinance number.

So, at first I though - ooh creepy. So, this was put here because childless individuals were possibly preying on children at a park. Spectacularly yucky.

But then I laughed. And took a picture (which I will try and post later). I laughed because this sign pretty much encapsulates my life - not just because I had a child and another on the way (and now they are both here and with me as little outside human beings) - but because this is what I spend my life doing.

I live, breath and learn children. I taught preschool, then I taught preschool teachers, now I am training to research preschoolers and their teachers. I live my life accompanied by children. Sometimes (ok, most of the time) physically, and pretty much all of the rest of the time they are central in my mind. (Just ask my husband).

So, inspired by another friend who just started a blog about something that she finds both interesting and enjoyable, I decided to start this blog. Because there is so much extra time in the day, right?

Nope. I did this because everyday I learn something from children - my own and other people's. Sometimes these are great big things and sometimes they are teeny tiny things. But they are the things that keep me going - and maybe they keep you going too.

So, let's be joyful. I am going to try and share, at least several times a week, something that I learn from children. Please feel free to share what you learn too. Maybe then things really would get better around this place we call home. Sometimes these will be platitudes and sometimes they won't be. Either way, it makes me happy and I hope it will make you happy too.

So, here's what I learned today:

Babies (especially ones named Mayes) just make your heart flip/flop when they laugh at you for nibbling on their cheeks. Find a baby, ask his or her parents politely, and then try it. It makes the day sing.