Our little problem solver
One of the great things about being a parent is watching kids do stuff for the first time. Even cooler? Watching them FIGURE stuff out for the first time. Two recent examples made me realize this.
EXAMPLE 1: Isaac and the Rattle Ring
Isaac's Aunt Erica and Uncle Domenic got him a really cool toy for Christmas. Part of the toy is a tube with two discs on either end. In the middle are five or six different rings. To get them off you unscrew one of the discs and then slide them off the tube. Isaac's favorite, by far, is the one that rattles. So I decided to conduct a little experiment. I took off top disc off, slid the rattle ring to the very bottom of the stack and then slid the other pieces on top. I then gave the tube with all the pieces on it to Isaac, being sure to shake the rattle ring as I passed it off.
He squealed with delight and recognition and at first decided to take off one ring at a time. Then after one frustration pull, he tipped the whole thing over and all of the rings fell off, giving him the rattle ring straight away.
EXAMPLE 2: Isaac and the GIANT GREEN DUPLO
Isaac loves Duplos. Some he likes better than others and one of his favorites is the giant green flat piece. Problem is when the piece falls with the little lego dimples up the edge is perfectly flat on the ground and he can't get his tiny fingers under it. I watched him with this dilemma for a while. Then all of a sudden, as if struck with an idea, he used his legs to clear the Duplos away from the area in front of him. Then he opened his legs and pushed the green piece into his crotch until it stopped and then he pushed some more, got a bit of leverage, and the piece lifted off the ground. It was ingenious. And then he did it for Nanna and G-Daddy on iChat.
All in all, watching Isaac problem solve is probably one of my most favorite things in the entire world. Watching him work through things is just too cool.
EXAMPLE 1: Isaac and the Rattle Ring
Isaac's Aunt Erica and Uncle Domenic got him a really cool toy for Christmas. Part of the toy is a tube with two discs on either end. In the middle are five or six different rings. To get them off you unscrew one of the discs and then slide them off the tube. Isaac's favorite, by far, is the one that rattles. So I decided to conduct a little experiment. I took off top disc off, slid the rattle ring to the very bottom of the stack and then slid the other pieces on top. I then gave the tube with all the pieces on it to Isaac, being sure to shake the rattle ring as I passed it off.
He squealed with delight and recognition and at first decided to take off one ring at a time. Then after one frustration pull, he tipped the whole thing over and all of the rings fell off, giving him the rattle ring straight away.
EXAMPLE 2: Isaac and the GIANT GREEN DUPLO
Isaac loves Duplos. Some he likes better than others and one of his favorites is the giant green flat piece. Problem is when the piece falls with the little lego dimples up the edge is perfectly flat on the ground and he can't get his tiny fingers under it. I watched him with this dilemma for a while. Then all of a sudden, as if struck with an idea, he used his legs to clear the Duplos away from the area in front of him. Then he opened his legs and pushed the green piece into his crotch until it stopped and then he pushed some more, got a bit of leverage, and the piece lifted off the ground. It was ingenious. And then he did it for Nanna and G-Daddy on iChat.
All in all, watching Isaac problem solve is probably one of my most favorite things in the entire world. Watching him work through things is just too cool.