The First Spark of Creativity
Lately, we have been spending most of our free time right here. In our backyard. While Bean loves the swimming pool, what he would much rather play with are his school bus and water table.
In the pool, he has to either be held or put in his float and that tends to irritate him. He’s at a pretty independent age right now and any activity that involves any kind of constraints is not on his list of favorites. He would much rather run around in the grass and chase the dogs or climb in and out of his school bus a bajillion times or splash in his water table.
He also likes the water table better than the pool because he can tear down the plastic water slide and then build it back up again.
At first it was sort of annoying that Bean had such little interest in the pool. I mean, here’s this enormous, expensive pool to play in and all he wants to do is play with his toys. But the more I have sat outside with him and played, the more I have come to appreciate Bean’s preferences. For the first time, I can actually see Bean becoming creative. You can watch him talking to nobody in particular as he drives his bus somewhere imaginary. You can see him explain, in detail, how the water slide on his water table works to Big Molly. But my favorite is watching him take something and use it for a purpose that is all his own. For example, the boat that floats in the swimming pool for him to play with has now become the doorstop for his school bus.
And I can see this imagination and creativity in other areas besides in our backyard. Sometimes I’ll come into his room in the morning to get him up and I’ll find him sitting calmly in his crib, talking 90 miles an hour to Mr. Bear. Talking as if what he is saying is the most important thing in the whole world. We have also caught him staring out our front window, pointing to things in the neighborhood and talking, talking, and talking to no one in particular about what is happening outside.
What used to be just random babble about nothing in particular has suddenly become…well, still babble, but it seems to be so much more important to Bean. He seems to be babbling with a purpose these days, explaining or directing someone or something. His favorite audience right now is Mr. Bear, but Big Molly is a pretty good audience member, too.
I don’t know if this post is actually making any sense. I’m sure if a random person saw him playing like I’m describing they wouldn’t look twice. It’s a kid playing. But to me, as his mom, I can see a huge difference in how he is playing these days. And I think it is because he is becoming more creative. He’s also becoming more aware of the world around him and that it doesn’t necessarily stop when he leaves the room.
I love seeing this new little milestone of Bean’s and I love even more that it is such a small, minor, little milestone and yet Chris and I notice it. It is just another reminder to me of how important the role of Mommy and Daddy are to children. If we don’t notice these little everyday miracles, who would?
14 Comments
Tabitha (From Single to Married)
ha – love that picture of him sticking out his little tummy!
Lindsay (YoungMarriedMom)
How encouraging as I wait for our little one to make his/her (overdue) appearance in the world. This is a great tribute to the importance of moms and dads in kids’ lives. . . . but I’m not sure how you could think so clearly with Bean’s adorable belly sticking out!
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
I love that you’re documenting this stuff Katie. I wish I had had a blog when the kids were little and would have let me write about them.
Loving your new backyard!
Ella
This post made heaps of sense to me 🙂 Love your new backyard! I know what you mean about Bean not wanting to be held in the pool, wanting to do his own thing. We have a pool and my son still needs to be held by someone but i know how much its restricting him. I just got a good idea for a Christmas present – the water table! Im guessing you can also use this as a sand table?
Melissa @ Greener Grass
I am loving these belly pics of Bean! Why are little boy bellies so cute?
Reba
I definitely could relate to this post. I remember when I first noticed Owen (now 28 months) sitting down and making a few containers and a toy wrench into a bowl and a spoon and pretending to eat– all the while yammering on to himself. I just sat there and smiled because it was so great to see him using his imagination without any prompting from me. Enjoy it!
Sara @ embrylovescookies
Bean is becoming such a little man. And your post makes total sense to anyone with kids 🙂 We all can definitely relate.
Tressa
Bean man is growing up, and it’s great that you notice the small stuff!! LOVE the pictures of Beanie. He is so cute. I’m so happy for all of you to have a nice backyard to play in now!!
Kat @ Living Like the Kings
He is so freakin’ cute – and such a little grown up man.
Jennie
This post made complete sense to me which leads me to implore you to create a separate page for the new guy. I have two boys (18 months apart) and our blog co-mingles both of their lives for the most part together. Occasionally each wil have a separate posting BUT I always wished that I had started a separate page for my youngest…he always seems to get lost in the mix (as 2nd’s usually do). Anyway…congratulations and the best of luck to you all!
me
Dont discount the major change in his life lately–going to daycare (or school as we call it in our house :)). The biggest jumps in my son tend to happen right after he moves up a room at school and sees the bigger kids doing something or saying something.
Michaela
I’m sure there was a Bruce Willis movie where a kid did that….
Seriously though, that’s so sweet. Imagination is one of the greatest gifts you can have, and it’s wonderful that you are recognising and encouraging it from the start.
Megan @ Red Dirt and Crazy
Good for Beanie Boy!! 🙂
It was very evident to me when Q-Tip started doing more imaginary play. Especially with her baby dolls. I wrote a post about it as well because for some reason it was just so neat to me!!
http://reddirtandcrazy.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-baby-mama.html
It’s so much fun to watch them grown and learn!
🙂
Megan
Tan@tan/green
Just this week on NPR there was a story about how important this kind of playing and self talk are to developing imaginatio and self-regulation. What fun for Bean to have so much opportunity to play pretend!