Superb Blue Wren
6 yo Little Man: “Hey, Mom. ”
Mom: “Hey, back atcha, Little Man.”
LM: “Hey, Mom. Can you put me on the compooter? I have to show you somptin on the snakes and lishards.”
Mom: “MMuuh, not right now. See, food? See, heat, See I’ve got this job that I got sucked into thinking was necessary for the position I hold as Mom?”
LM: “No, Mom, really. You’re silly. I need to get a lishard. WHOAAAA! Mom! Ja see that??? Look in this book! I’ve seen a bird just like thiz!”
Mom: “Yes, you have. It’s called a wren. Remember all the nests in the barn? All the nests on the porch? All those nests anywhere you don’t need nests?? And by the way, didja notice the little male eating the pupae out of the mud-dobbers’ clods? They’re high in fat, keeps their little wings flapping to find another 20 nests for their little picky females to choose from in the Spring. Course you may not have noticed. Their knocking on the walls isn’t quite as loud as you and your brother playing.”
LM: “Yeah, Mom. Anyway, when I catch one of those I’m going to keep it. I almost did last time but I thought it might get out inside the house, ya know, if I put it in my room.”
Mom: “Good thinking. You don’t want to catch a wild bird though. They aren’t used to being inside and they need to fly and flit about to keep their muscles strong. Without strong flight muscles, they become sickly and weak. We don’t want that. Plus, we don’t like bird poo in our soup.”
Why is it we tell our kids they can’t keep wild animals caged up, and yet we cage up our wild children? We expect them to sit still in school, Church, piano recitals, and lectures. I really mean have you sat and wondered why our kids are coming home with notes that say, “Upon extensive evaluation of your child (we looked in and saw him standing up when everyone was sitting) we believe it medically necessary for you to meet with your child’s pediatrician (we’ve taken the opportunity on your behalf of already setting up an appointment) and discuss the possibility of your child having been stricken with Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (he’s too active for our teacher to keep up with, he’s bored and has a bad attitude about being bored.)
OK, well, I’m the teacher so I don’t get those notes. I’ve taught before however and have first hand experience with kids who were truly ADD and ADHD, those kids who were high strung and then those kids whose parents didn’t love them enough to teach them the word NO because it was too much hassle. There is a huge difference if you take the time to distinguish. This requires getting to know the child. So help me. My next to youngest son would be rolled up into one or more of those groups if he attended traditional institutional schools. He wouldn’t be disruptive on purpose but he’d be darned oblivious to his actions being disruptive. I know it, I live it. But I’ve chosen to go down this home schooling road so I can do something about it rather than stunt his body with medications or have his peers label him for his life. That’s just my solution, to each your own, but they be your own so take care, its worth the hassle.
Now, this child of mine must have LOTS of outdoor time. He’s a joy of my day when there a ray of sun out and when its raining, he possess the natural born gift of being the pain of my day. Cabin fever sets in quickly with him so I have to watch out or he’ll have me climbing walls right next to him. But if I can stand the mess he’d get in to, regardless the temperature or precipitation, and give the child a backpack, binoculars, bird book, bug book (he can’t read yet) and a snack and water bottle and he is in Heaven. The woods are his. Rarely does he keep shoes on. Rarely does he own a pair of unripped jeans. His hair is burly and knappy when its longer than 1/2 inch. His temper is nasty and his hugs are glorious. He feels when things are not right about me and sets to ease the knots I get in my shoulders. He is gentle yet fast- the best lizard catcher I know. (I have a Range and Wildlife degree, used to go “herping” ((get your mind outta that gutter!)) so I know some great lizard catchers!) SO, why in the heck would I botch up all that to make him sit still for 8 hours a day?? When I tell him to sit still, by golly those britches better not move, but the 8 hours a day and keeping your hand tucked in the other for 5 days a week, just isn’t necessary.
I’ve been doing some history reading, Folks. When the sun took longer to set on the age of innocence and the adventures of youth provided confidence and skills no book could bestow. Seems to me, boys were allowed to be boys just up until my generation’s coming. Now they wear helmets and padding for everything. They have wires coming out of their thumbs and ears. Blank stares replace the integrity of eye to eye communication. None of the biographies and letters made excuses for whining. Oh, my Heaven above, they didn’t whine, or at least the ones that were worth their salt didn’t. I don’t pine for days past, they had their own nastiness to forget, but what I wouldn’t change about some things today.
Children, they need to fly and flit about. They need to keep their muscles strong. Without strong muscles, they become sickly and weak. We don’t want that.
And BTW, we don’t have Superb Blue Wrens here to my knowledge. Just the little brown buggers, they’re neat enough in their own rite.
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