Parenting is Thinking

Back in my days of teaching 3rd grade we had a saying we used for teaching reading skills and strategies. “Reading is Thinking.” It basically helped kids understand the idea that reading is not just looking at letters and words. Reading is a constant thought process which includes visualizing, connecting, summarizing, questioning, predicting…..you get the picture.

I’ve been realizing lately how much “Parenting is Thinking.” Parent is not just a title. There are many ways I could talk about this….but one I have been noticing especially a lot lately. Elias watches our every move. He notices everything. Even when we think he is not watching or noticing. He is like a sponge soaking in the world. Here are some examples:

1 – We gave Elias some wooden play condiment bottles with magnetic lids for Christmas. We chose the toy because he loves to play with the ketchup, bbq sauce, applesauce….everything that is in the bottom shelf of our fridge. Every time I open the fridge he rushes over to try and get his chance to play with them before I can shut the door. He loves his wooden ones (although not quite as much as the real thing) Anyway, this morning he was playing with the wooden bottles. He took of the lid off of one, turned it upside down, and shook it….exactly like we do when we put salad dressing on our food. I marveled as I saw him put the lid back on, set the toy down, and then start the whole process over again. Where did he learn that? We’ve never taught him that or pointed it out to him. He just noticed us doing that action at dinner time.

2- Elias has always liked napkins. In the past he always tried to rip them or eat them. Recently he has started taking napkins, and tenderly patting his mouth and chin with them. Where did he learn that? I’ve never cleaned his face like that. I always take a big washcloth and wipe…not pat. I usually clean his face as quickly as possible because he doesn’t like it….so where did he learn this “patting his face to clean it” thing? Oh yeah…he’s seen me do it every day on myself.

I could name many more…but those two examples will do for the purposes of this post. Realizing how much he watches us, and how much he notices got  me to thinking. What does he notice that I might not want him to notice? What do I do or say that I might not want him to do as well? Everything I do is an example for my son. My tone of voice, my facial expression, the words I say, the way I move, the way I interact with others. He notices it all. I have to constantly be thinking about what I do and how I do it to provide him with the best example possible. That is a tall order. But no one ever said parenting is easy. I embrace the challenge.