This week one of the lovely ladies at nursery asked me if she could 'have a word'. I don't know what it is about such an innocuous sentence that gives every parent the heebie-jeebies... Maybe it harks back to memories of your own childhood discipline; or maybe something you heard once from a doctor with less than positive news. Whatever it is, I certainly felt a bit apprehensive as I waited for all the other parents to collect their little cherubs...
It turned out that she had some concerns about Nathan's concentration, and just wanted to know how he was at home. I told her the truth, that I wasn't wildly concerned about it, because he is quite capable of concentrating when he feels like it - provided of course that he's not exhausted, hungry, or distracted by something else... I'm aware that he spends more time with his head in the clouds than his elder brother (Joel 'always-in-the-real-world' Taylor), but comparing any child to Joel is a recipe for disaster, so I never do. I always assume Nathan is normal unless someone tells me otherwise.
It made me think again about how no child (and no-one actually) is 'normal', because we're all so different. We all have things we find easy, and things we find difficult. I find it helpful to always remember this, and it's something I've spent a fair bit of time talking to Joel about. Joel is fabulous in a lot of ways, but one of my favourite things about him is how honestly and generously he praises others, even if they have done something that he himself could have done really easily.
Joel's reception teacher once told me about how once in class, he was trying to get one of his class mates to add 35 and 65. Quickly realising that this was too difficult, he changed the sum to 5 + 5, then helped them to complete the sum, and then celebrated their achievement. His teacher was almost as thrilled as me.
I think Nathan will probably always be one of those kids with a slight tendency to gaze out the window...
I always took that as a sign of a good imagination, something Nathan has in abundance. He might not be 'average'... but who'd choose average anyway? He's brilliant.
I'm rather tempted to suggest that the weirdo is the one who expects 3 year olds to have much in the way of concentration. I have trouble believing Nathan is anywhere outside the typical range of 'normal'.
ReplyDeleteHope your attitude might help her,
xx
Hi Gill, sounds like a healthy, imaginative little boy to me! I have one not dissimilar. And as you say, who'd want to be average? Blessings, Anna
ReplyDeleteI like this quote :-)
ReplyDeleteFrom Akira Kurosawa a Japanese Movie Director (1910-1998)
In a mad world only the mad are sane.