We Were All Kids Once
It's an understatement to say our son loves toys. He doesn't merely play with toys, he relates to them.
This is not to say he doesn't relate to real people. To the contrary, he does so very well. In fact, we're proud of how comfortable he is talking to adults as well as kids. Many children are intimidated by adults or just don't know what to say to them, but Jack has found a great ice-breaker. When we visit friends or have adult guests, Jack will open a conversation by asking, "So, what were your favorite toys when you were a little boy (or girl)?" It's wonderful to see how people open up and how he pays attention. Toys are his point of contact. He knows toys, and he knows that every adult was a kid once.
What's more, Jack learns things about our friends and relatives that we never knew. It's funny how everyone remembers favorite toys and is happy to talk about them, and he loves to hear about them.
When he sees old toys, he wonders about the adults who played with them years ago. It's no wonder that some of his favorite stories are Toy Story 2, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Old Bear Tales, and other stories about cherished old toys.
He's figured out that somewhere inside every adult is a person who was once his age, and he can talk to that person. Toys are his window to the world, a way he connects with people and makes them feel young. Then he makes up stories about old toys talking to new toys. The old toys (like people) are more fragile, but they have value because they were once loved by a kid. He's learned a great lesson about life, with little encouragement from us.
No, not every day is like this. He's drawn to every single flashy, cool toy at Wal-Mart, but when we don't buy them, he's just as happy to go to Grandma's and play with the toys his mama and uncles used to play with. It's good for him, and it's good for us to see and remember.
This is not to say he doesn't relate to real people. To the contrary, he does so very well. In fact, we're proud of how comfortable he is talking to adults as well as kids. Many children are intimidated by adults or just don't know what to say to them, but Jack has found a great ice-breaker. When we visit friends or have adult guests, Jack will open a conversation by asking, "So, what were your favorite toys when you were a little boy (or girl)?" It's wonderful to see how people open up and how he pays attention. Toys are his point of contact. He knows toys, and he knows that every adult was a kid once.
What's more, Jack learns things about our friends and relatives that we never knew. It's funny how everyone remembers favorite toys and is happy to talk about them, and he loves to hear about them.
When he sees old toys, he wonders about the adults who played with them years ago. It's no wonder that some of his favorite stories are Toy Story 2, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Old Bear Tales, and other stories about cherished old toys.
He's figured out that somewhere inside every adult is a person who was once his age, and he can talk to that person. Toys are his window to the world, a way he connects with people and makes them feel young. Then he makes up stories about old toys talking to new toys. The old toys (like people) are more fragile, but they have value because they were once loved by a kid. He's learned a great lesson about life, with little encouragement from us.
No, not every day is like this. He's drawn to every single flashy, cool toy at Wal-Mart, but when we don't buy them, he's just as happy to go to Grandma's and play with the toys his mama and uncles used to play with. It's good for him, and it's good for us to see and remember.
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14
posted by StarBittrune | 3:39 PM
1 Comments:
'When we visit friends or have adult guests, Jack will open a conversation by asking, "So, what were your favorite toys when you were a little boy (or girl)?"'
I recall having this conversation with Jack a few weeks ago. He seemed most fascinated with the "Stretch Armstrong" action figure I had when I was about 10. Do you remember Stretch? He was a super hero made of a material that allowed kids to stretch his limbs up to 4 times the width of his body, and they'll snap right back into place!
http://www.bigredtoybox.com/articles/stretchindex.shtml
Ah, the memories!
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