Sometimes You Find Love In Your Pocket
Through a river of tears and a pouty mouth, Alexis managed to squeak out why she was having a nervous breakdown. "I'm not good at the computer," she said.
It had (finally) come to her attention that she's behind her peers in all things computer-related.
It's by design, really. Her design. She has never shown much interest in anything that has to do with computers. She has never asked for a DS, doesn't play our Wii, and couldn't care less about things Mickey's website or Webkinz or any of that sort of thing. She has always preferred coloring, writing, reading, and pretend play to anything electronic.
I explained as much to her, slowly talking her down from the ledge. By the time we were done chatting, she seemed to understand that different kids pick different things to learn first and that it was OK that she had chosen to be good at reading over being good at navigating the mouse on a computer.
**********************************************************************
We owe the world a forest by now. Possibly two. Alexis spends most of her evenings coloring and drawing and writing and cutting, plowing through reams of paper as if they are oxygen. The evidence is everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Little scraps of paper litter the family room floor. The fridge is wallpapered with Alexis art. Crayons are burned off like wood in a fireplace. She goes through them so quickly that I buy them five packs at a time.
Alexis just plain loves to create art.
**********************************************************************
As I sat in the parent orientation for kindergarten (yes, KINDERGARTEN!), I reviewed the bulleted list of signs that a child is ready for The Big Time. One item after another got a mental checkmark as I realized that Alexis is way more than ready to take on school for real. She might even wind up being a little bit bored academically.
And then it struck me--nowhere on the list was there anything related to computer use. The focus for kindergarten readiness was related to social skills and speech issues--alphabet recognition, sounds, some reading and writing, etc.
"Interesting," I thought.
**********************************************************************
As the orientation continued, I began to fidget. There was once a time when I could make it through a one-hour meeting paying full attention, but that time is most definitely not now. Between doodling on the handouts and staring at the posters on the wall, my mind was everywhere that it didn't belong. As the school nurse continued providing information, I began digging through my jacket pocket.
And found this:
A tiny little Alexis heart.
She most definitely picked right when Alexis decided to work on reading, writing, and art early on.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Reader Comments (11)
How exciting! Here comes kindergarten! My son (2nd grade now) was the EXACT same way (still is - no video games for this kid). BUT - that doesn't mean 'no good at the computer'. If you can read and know your letters and numbers you'll figure out the computer that much faster so don't worry :) Within 1 or 2 trips to the computer lab at school he had it down, no problems. Then when we got a laptop he transitioned to the no-mouse set up better than anyone in the family.
Its so sad kids go through that stage of comparing themselves to everyone else. Wouldn't it be great if they could skip it, get to that point (gosh I think I was 30) where they just want their own kind of happy and love themselves just the way they are?
My oldest daughter (now 4!) is the creator in our family, too, but she just started toying with computers/electronics when she got a Mobigo for Christmas (HUGE hit).
I have a sign that my Youngest Boy made for me around the time he started pre-K and it hangs on my wall and gets me out of bed every morning. It says, "I M Youngest Boy. I Luv Mommmy." {SIGH} For me, that's the love in my pocket.
She has such imagination that it shocks me sometimes! When I was pregnant with X she drew me a picture of what she thought the baby was going to look like! It was fun watching her draw and watching the little wheels in her head turn. I have no doubt that she is ready for kindergarten or that she will absolutely master anything that she wants too.
such an incredible girl. is the kid as anti hug as you are? i swear i am gonna squeeze her one day.
Once she realizes that computers can be used to create art, that may spark an interest. My 8yr old daughter was the same way and still considers "artist" as her fallback career choice if "rockstar" doesn't work out. She uses powerpoint and simple drawing programs (MS Paint) for some of her creations now, especially when she wants to write and illustrate stories, but doesn't have time to finish all in one day. She is in second grade now, but the computer interest/exposure came from kinder/first grade. Alexis has plenty of time to learn computers.
Just like good moms always pack cheerios and a kid-friendly pen/notepad, good kids always pack their mom's pockets and purses with adorable treasures to find. (Usually during those awful hour-long meetings.)
The skills that she has developed will benefit her far more than early computer skills. I'm sure of that. I think the very best thing that helps kids once they are in school is a love for words. Reading is key. My kids were all reading when they started kindergarten, so we dealt with the "I'm bored" a little bit... I just had to maintain good communication with the teachers. So far, they've all done great finding other things for the kids to engage themselves in, when the regular curriculum wasn't challenging enough.
You're doing a great job, mama.
I really hope she continues to love those things more than the computer. Kindergarten?! BAWL!
Oh yeah, she's totally gonna rock at Kindergarten. I have an artist in the house too and I know what you mean about the paper and crayons - OH MY! Love that little heart....
Great story!