Do you really know what your child is saying?

Meet William. 

One day about 8 years ago Younger Teen, then a wee 9-year-old, brought William into our bedroom and placed him in the green wingback chair and said

“William will live here now.”

And William has been there ever since.

Studly Hubby and I mused on her reasons but not in some intensely psychological or analytical manner.  Was her little declaration an expression of….trust in us? A need to feel a part of our adult sanctuary? A part of her pretense for the social interactions of her stuffed animals – did William misbehave among the others?

She had no answer when we asked why at the time and we had no reason to do anything but affirm her claim. 

Over time, William has become as much a part of the room as the pictures on the wall ~ all representations of children.  I might or might not notice William when I am in the room, briefly, but I would notice if he was not there. If I am sitting in the chair, I usually move him to rest on the antique magazine holder (with purple flowers). 

William is one of those stiff articulated bears, not the cuddly soft kind ~ which probably saves him from being abused used as a lumbar pillow. On occasion SH will pick-up William and include him in our conversation with the high-pitched non-ventriliquolized voice that SH gives to all manner of beings in our home.

Over time the meaning of William’s being and where he lives has changed. In that first simple placement by not-yet-Younger-Teen’s expression of whatever-she-was-expressing a path and pattern of interaction was set in place. [I do not believe in coincidence.]

In parenting we do so much to prompt certain behaviors in our children. Then they surprise us and we have to decide how to respond ~ an ongoing interaction and expression between people who are the most organically connected.

Isn’t that more true, more common than not? Our children express themselves in ways both unpredictable and yet clear as water in a crystal glass. The heat-shaped and precision-chiseled crystal is the lifestyle we create  and that becomes the context of meaning for the actions of our children.

I’ll bet [and I am not a betting person] that every one of you has a ‘family story’ of something you said or did as a child. Everyone in your family ‘gets it’ for why a particular childhood expression became the stuff of family lore.

So powerful are childhood expressions that they survive generations. 

Childhood Expressions
is the theme for
my next blog carnival on
child development.

You are hereby invited
to participate in my
second annual spring blog carnival.

Here’s how it works….. To participate, write a post that reflects your interpretation of the carnival theme and publish it on your blog. The carnival theme is intentionally broad. After publishing an entry post on your blog leave the url or permalink in comments here. I will not publish the comment, but will read and link your post within the carnival. 

Read my previous carnivals to get an idea of the results.

Angels Blog Carnival

Homing Development Blog Carnival

(Special thanks to Danette for creating this icon for me.)

Somehow, my instructions are clear enough to confuse someone each time. Please feel free to ask questions in comments if you do not understand blog-carnival-culture - in which I am complete arbiter of what goes into the carnival.

Time-line: leave a comment with the url/permalink of your childhood-expressions-post by April 22 (deadline for entering).  The carnival will be posted on April 25 . Please plan to post about the carnival on your blog April 25 to encourage your readers to enjoy it also.

Oh, yea – a little incentive. I will award a prize to one of the blogger entrants for their post. The prize-winning decision is by me and completely subjective.   I won a little cookbook over at Mommycosm. (All wave and say hi to Mommycosm!) The book is new and still in the cellophane wrapping. I think it fits well into my 2010 The Year of Function.   

I will mail it anywhere.

The book - not William! 

William is absolutely staying right where he is.

Comments

[Your Therapy Source]

Barbara,

Love this idea for a blog carnival although I will have to bring out my creative writing side (which I am not so sure I even have). I am going to think about a topic and post soon. With four children in our house I am sure I can come up with something just need to narrow down to one thing.

Margaret

[Your Therapy Source Inc]

All done Barbara. Check out my post about Expressions of Childhood - Collection. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

[Mrs. Mac]

This is a good theme! I'll start digging in my archive ... I'm sure I have one that will work .. if not ... I'll write one.

Hugs,

[mommy~dearest]

Barbara my dear! I've just been catching up (had surgery and was out of the loop for several weeks, but I'm baaack!). You know I can't just submit one entry, so here's a couple for ya. They're short. And of course, hilarious- because they made my wheels turn. :)

Enjoy!

And by the way, I'm very proud of you that you learned how to twitter! I still have no idea how to, or really even know what that means. Lol.

[Maddy]

The middle of Science Camp so I'll be one down, so ... maybe... just need a little brain time.

[Lisa]

I love this theme. I'll have to put my thinking cap on and get myself entered! Thanks for giving us to the 22nd....that should be enough time for me to come up with something!

[Danette]

How fun, I always find great posts reading your blog carnivals. I'm glad I haven't missed it :). I'll have to some thinking to come up with something to write about...

[Stacey Harris]

okay... I wrote something...
I think I linked it to your blog... but I might of made..yet another goof-- let me know!

[bethany]

I linked to your blog (this post I think) and published my entry. :)

[Danette]

Hi Barbara - I didn't get time to write the post I had in mind (all my posts so far this week are ones I scheduled over the weekend, lol), so I'm submitting an official entry from the archives.

There are a couple of others you can include if you want to / have space for them.

Thanks!

[K - Floortime Lite Mama]

I am submitting an official entry!

Look forward to reading your post tomorrow
Did not get any time at lunch but still managed to get in the deadline by the skin of my teeth !

[The carnival will be published on the 25th, K.]

[Elizabeth Channel]

OK, I've completed my entry, way, way late, so if you can't use it, I completely understand! Thanks for a great idea though! I look forward to reading everyone else's!