Swept away...

Children learn visually. They say that over 90% of what kids learn in the early years is by imitation. Toddlers want to use a fork to copy Daddy. They want to feed their dolls because they see other grown-ups feeding babies. They want to sit on the potty to be like their classmates at preschool. Except for blind kids...they don't have the powers of visual imitation. Zelda doesn't like to use a fork as it's easier to eat pasta with her fingers - makes sense, doesn't it? She doesn't play with her babies instead she listens to music. She's starting to use the potty because we talk about it a lot and I have her sit on my lap as I use the toilet...

BUT, Zelda is really into asking "What are you doing?" The other day, I was sweeping the floor. "I want to sweep," she said. So, I handed her the broom. As she explored every aspect of the broom, from the long handle all the way down to the plastic rim covering the bristles, I described every detail and she repeated the words. She then squatted and dropped the broom on the floor, turned it upside down and sideways, put it near her face, and stood back up. She grasped the broom in her two tiny hands and I helped her position them, one above the other to control the handle. I stood over her like I was teaching her to swing a golf club and we practiced sweeping. We would say "sweeep" in a sing-song voice and she would giggle with delight.

Next came the dirt, we knelt on the floor and felt crumbs and abandoned spaghetti - I told her how we wanted to make a pile of these things and we could "sweep" them together. This was the hard part as I wondered how would she know without feeling on her hands and knees where the dirt would be on her dorm room floor in college? Anyway, we swept the dirt into a pile and knelt down again to feel it - always with the broom at her side. In the pile of dirt was a piece of old popcorn - she put it towards her mouth: "No!", I said and explained that it had fallen onto the dirty floor...

I brought out the dustpan, Zelda banged it, dropped it, felt every edge and nook and cranny, every ridge and indentation of the metal tool. We squatted and felt the dirt, put the dust pan into position, kept one little foot on the dustpan and proceeded to sweep the dust into it. Well, we kind of succeeded - at least she was thrilled! She walked with the dustpan in her hands over to dump the dirt into the poubelle...a half hour later and with focused concentration, Zelda grasped the concept of sweeping.

Later on, Creed went down to my shop and he saw Brittnie cleaning the counters with glass and towels. "I want to do that," he said. Within 30 seconds, he had picked up the 2 appropriate tools and cleaned every surface in the store....

Sigh...

P.S. My cancer treatment update: surgery for port removal on Friday, meeting with radiation oncologist on Monday...being swept away...