Posts Tagged ‘personality’

Beyond Her Years

Saturday, July 16th, 2016

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Despite admitting that she feels badly drawing comparison’s, Charlotte’s new teacher (and Rory’s former one), cannot help but advise us on just how very different she is when compared to her brother at this age.  Both Rory and Charlotte moved up to the younger toddler classroom at daycare at eighteen months old, making them on the younger side of the age-range for that room.  With Rory, we wondered if he was ready, if he would stand up for him self, if he would be lost, and if he would be comfortable.  He was fine, of course, but we were fretful nonetheless. With Charlotte, we knew there was no holding her back.  She had aged out of her prior classroom months ago, and was thirsting for new and more challenging environs and discoveries.

And she is thriving.

Her teachers claim that she is wise beyond her years in just about everything she does:  the way she stands firmly in her wants and desires (to the point of being bullish and unmoving in her demands), the way she teases her classmates and teachers, her sense of humor, her independence, her manipulation of the little boys in her class, and the way she stands up for herself with fierce tenacity (despite coming in around the 25th percentile on height. . .).  In each instance, people who spend any amount of time around her consistently remark on how much personality is packed into her spunky little self.

Her teacher’s reflections on the topic this week were how surprising it is for her to see when compared to her brother’s far more measured and reserved personality.  As she explained it, Rory would have been in full blown tears in some of the circumstances Charlotte puts herself into.  She, on the other hand, just barrels right on through. And it is fascinating to see.  And we find it interesting to listen to the commentary as she settles in to her new environs. It’s fun to see things through another set of eyes as her teachers share their thoughts and perspectives on her “spunk.”

Sure, it makes life a bit more difficult at bedtime or breakfast when she’s not getting her way. But other times it is amazing to let her take the lead and see just how self sufficient she can be. I hope upon hope that she never loses that tenacity and vision.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

 

Gift of Gab

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Tate has a passion for talking. He loves to make conversation with anyone and anything, including strangers and animals. He’s long winded when he explains anything. His teacher often comments how he is first to raise his hand when she asks questions or wants to hear about someone’s weekend. I’m happy with Tate for wanting to share his weekend activities, AND for raising his hand before speaking.

When Tate was a toddler, he had me red in the face numerous times while grocery shopping. He would not only be pulling items off the shelves, but also talk, wave and high five anyone we passed by in the cart. He always smiled and loved to interact with people of all ages. He was a big flirt to say to the least.

Fast forward a few years (and a larger vocabulary) and Tate has really grown to exercise his mouth. He still talks to anyone in sight and will tell them exactly how he feels. He has no filter and has humiliated me on more than one occasion, especially because I’m not a big talker. He makes me laugh on the inside, but on the outside I try to explain to him that we don’t always need to tell everybody everything. His innocence is so sweet, and I know he feels he is helping out by announcing what is going on, or what someone is doing, but understanding that we need to learn to keep our mouths closed during certain situations isn’t always the easiest for him to demonstrate. He’s learning, and hopefully will catch on soon.

Although Tate’s talkative tendencies can drive me to exhaustion at times, I’m happy to know that he loves to tell stories about his day, pretend play with his toys, make believe with anything he can find, and sing songs in the shower. I believe his gift of gab will benefit him someday, and I’ll be sure to tell him stories of his chatty childhood.

Feeling compassion

Friday, December 13th, 2013

From Friday Mom – Erin:
Rory’s daycare teachers informed us this week that he has started showing a more intense emotional reaction to the reactions of his classmates. Our ordinarily even-keeled kiddo apparently gets very upset when his classmates start to cry, and only really calms down once his friends have calmed down, too.

So far, we haven’t seen this carry over at home much. In other words, he doesn’t seem to be crying simply because he is entertaining himself nor because he is mimicking others. Instead, he really seems to be trying to rallying around his friends and asking his teachers for help on his friends’ behalf.

I have no idea if my characterization of the situation is at all accurate. But I have been enjoying daydreaming about his apparent personality and the little boy (and then grown man) that Rory will eventually become. I hope that he remains intent on speaking up on behalf of others in order to prevent injustices. I hope he is always willing to raise his voice for those who may not be heard. And I hope that he remains a little leader amongst his peers.

I know that my wants and desires will go only a fraction of a way towards shaping Rory into that type of boy. He has a long way to go towards developing his own actual interpersonal skills, even if he is planting the seeds every day. I also know that by nurturing and encouraging his new-found compassion, we can foster in him a sense of deep appreciation and respect for others. And that is precisely what we intend to do.

The Apple and The Tree

Monday, November 25th, 2013

From Friday Mom – Neetika:
When I was a little girl, I was painfully shy. Famously shy. In my high school yearbook, a classmate who had by then become a close friend of mine recounted that in the first grade, I spoke in a whisper and seemed scared all the time. I don’t know why I behaved that way. At home, I was a hyperactive young child—running, dancing, singing, laughing—but only around people I felt incredibly comfortable with.

Haley claims to be shy. If we tell her that we’re about to meet a new person, she’ll announce that she’s not going to talk to them or play with them. When the new person arrives, if he or she is the least bit friendly, Haley immediately shows them her painted nails, the shoes she’s wearing, and her room—in that order. Then she does not stop talking to them and engaging them until they leave.

It’s very interesting to see this facet of Haley’s personality developing. I’m constantly exploring the nature vs. nurture debate in my mind while I observe her. In some ways, Haley is just like her father or me. In other ways, we look at each other like, “where did this kid come from?” It’s thrilling to think that many qualities are Haley’s own—literally, she’s becoming her own person before our eyes.

I am excited to see how Haley will change as she gets older. Will she become more like us or less? Will she have talents that no one in her family has displayed before? Or will she be a chip off the old block—and if so, which block? If we have another child, we’ll have another trial experiment on our hands!

I love everything about Haley. And what’s fun is that as time goes on, there will be more and more about her to love. No matter where it comes from.