I love to hear my son's observations about the world around him.
"The earth is a big, huge rock, you know."
"Everybody is floating in space on a big rock."
"The earth is like a big oven."
"The earth is a big, huge rock, you know."
"Everybody is floating in space on a big rock."
"The earth is like a big oven."
It was very hot outside when he made the oven comment, but I have to marvel at this insight. The earth is heating up and the little ones are noticing.
Aidan is going through his second "Why?" phase.
"Why do dogs pant?"
"How do people make metal?"
"Why do I get that shock when I get off the slide?"
I am doing my best to answer these questions. My son is very literal, so I know he wants to hear a real and believable answer, not a silly and imaginative one. Just to give you an idea of his need for reality, a few years ago I made him a small, Waldorf-inspired doll and he begged me to draw a face on it. He is making me think about things all over again and ask questions myself.
We have a blast searching for answers together, either on the net, in a book, or through good old discussion and experimentation. Friday morning found us in the bathroom, lights off, with a balloon and fluorescent light bulb in hand. After reading and talking about static electricity (the slide incident), we were able to make electricity using our very own electrons! Give it a try: just rub the balloon on your head, shirt, towel or shower curtain, and then touch the light bulb with the balloon and watch it light up. It was a wonderful science experiment, and we all have a new appreciation for those little shocks.
Last night, as we were finishing dinner on my in-law's porch, Aidan directed our attention to the moon. It was a waxing crescent low on the horizon, the perfect follow-up to the pink cotton candy sunset. My son has become my guide to this wonderful world, and I love discovering it with him.
Aidan is going through his second "Why?" phase.
"Why do dogs pant?"
"How do people make metal?"
"Why do I get that shock when I get off the slide?"
I am doing my best to answer these questions. My son is very literal, so I know he wants to hear a real and believable answer, not a silly and imaginative one. Just to give you an idea of his need for reality, a few years ago I made him a small, Waldorf-inspired doll and he begged me to draw a face on it. He is making me think about things all over again and ask questions myself.
We have a blast searching for answers together, either on the net, in a book, or through good old discussion and experimentation. Friday morning found us in the bathroom, lights off, with a balloon and fluorescent light bulb in hand. After reading and talking about static electricity (the slide incident), we were able to make electricity using our very own electrons! Give it a try: just rub the balloon on your head, shirt, towel or shower curtain, and then touch the light bulb with the balloon and watch it light up. It was a wonderful science experiment, and we all have a new appreciation for those little shocks.
Last night, as we were finishing dinner on my in-law's porch, Aidan directed our attention to the moon. It was a waxing crescent low on the horizon, the perfect follow-up to the pink cotton candy sunset. My son has become my guide to this wonderful world, and I love discovering it with him.
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