Railway to Sucess

Lachlan is a drawer. He's like his father; as soon as the drawing tool is lifted, the wheels start churning and something is brought to life on paper. The moment Lachlan picked up his first crayon, at about 12 months, he looked like he was in his element; holding it, moving it across the paper- it all seemed to come so naturally to him. From then on we have always left paper and markers or crayons out for him to access. He naturally seemed to have a respect for their purpose and with this respect he left his artwork on the paper, not the walls or floors, thank goodness! However, if you give him permission, I think he'd use anything as his canvas; sidewalk chalk and our driveway bring him much joy and a paint brush and a tub of water make him happy as he paints the house, deck, dog, fence, etc outside. In front of his very eyes he watches his creation dry in the sun and quickly begins creating once more.

I believe it was around 17 months when Lachlan began drawing 'purposeful' drawings (though aren't they all purposeful to development?) Perhaps I should say recognisable. He started with circles. Most children before the age of 24 months will begin to draw in circular motions as it is a natural movement. At 17 months, Lachlan was far past this point. He had moved on to drawing complete, closed circles; something he practiced repetitively for weeks. I remember the first one I witnessed which he drew on a magnetic sketcher. I was so amazed and proud. He looked at me as to say, "well, yeah!" He must have been doing it awhile before I noticed. A few months later he moved on to triangles and squares and 3 weeks ago I was amazed when he was writing on the sidewalk and said, "Mama!" I looked over and after he was positive I was watching he drew a crescent and said, "Muuuun"(moon). I don't know why I am always so amazed; but I'm his mom and at the same time I'm a developmental specialist and I know that he is making connections and drawing representations beyond what I would expect for his age. On this note, it is also important to remember that all children develop at different rates and by six years of age the majority of them arrive to this year at about the same developmental level. So while it is fine to recognise that your child may be 'ahead of the game' for his age; it is important not to create a pre-molded image of what 'you think' your child will be like when they are six. Instead, focus on your child's uniqueness and be excited about what excites them!

Railway Tracks, 21 months

It is common knowledge in our household and circle of friends that Lachlan adores trains. How many boys don't at this age? For months Lachlan has demanded that we draw him trains and train tracks and now particular passengers on his trains. He'll tell me to draw; "mama," "daddy," "woof-woof," (dog), etc. Before we know it we have a whole string of trains covering an easel. Lachlan also likes to draw his own objects to the scenery. He will draw a wavy line and say, "Sssss" for snake. He'll add flowers and tell me that is what they are by saying "Mama!" and then giving them a nice sniff with his nose. Yesterday he was drawing in his sketch book and I was sitting next to him watching. He likes to make a few strokes and look at me to ensure that I am sharing in his work. (he's quite the demanding artist I must say!) I watched him as he drew two vertical parallel lines and then began to connect them with a series of horizontal lines. I continued to watch to see what he was doing. I could tell that he was being his usual self; drawing very purposefully and thinking about each stroke. As I watched him draw I began to think to myself that it looked just like something I had drawn him about 3 hours earlier on his mega sketcher. When he came to a pause I said, "wow! Lachlan. I like all your lines." He stopped, looked at me and said, "Mama!" and then took his finger ran it across his picture and said, "choo! choo!" My hunch was correct, he had drawn railway tracks! It was the first time I had seen him draw something purposeful with so much detail and it was a delight that he could express what he was creating with me. " That looks, like a nice railway, Lachie." I said. "Would you like a train to place on it?" He began to do his deep laugh which means, 'oh! yes!' I took out a foam train sticker and he held it in his hand and moved it up and down his track. He was delighted in his accomplishment, as was his mommy.

I think the important lesson to get out of these experiences is to listen to our children. It could have been easy for me to say, "Hey! You drew a railway!" What if Lachlan hadn't drawn a railway? What if it was a rainbow or a lizard? My suggestion might have altered his thinking and changed his conceptualization of  what a rainbow or lizard could look like. By blurting out 'that's a railway' the child may think, 'well I guess it can't be a rainbow or lizard.' And with that thought, a bit of creativity and imagination is lost--and for me and the child, a bit of sadness is created. Creativity and imagination bring things to life and when life is documented it has meaning; to the creator and to the observer. So I encourage you to encourage your children with some delicacy and respect to their creative process. As they say, "think before you speak" for words have meaning and your child counts on those words to help make sense of the world around him. As I've said in previous blogs it is best to hold our tongues and wait to see what they will offer. By using provocation, asking questions, we can provoke a response. We should never assume anything. Talk about the details of their picture or ask them to tell you about it. With children Lachlan's age it is more tricky as they have a very limited verbal vocabulary. If you give them the chance though they might surprise you and lead you to the right thought. With Lachlan it was by using his finger as a train to show it goes on the track and making the simple sound, "Choo!" Another child might have gone and picked up a toy train and put it on the tracks. Children are innovative and will show you this if you let them.

Well, it is late on this side of the world and our little artist is sleeping which is what I should be doing too. I know that another day full of creativity and imagination awaits me. As many of you know, being a parent can be exhausting but somehow I know Lachlan will stir up energy inside me tomorrow and remind me what it is like to be a child. That is where this pregnant mommy with a toddler finds strengths and motivation. Thank goodness for that! Until next time, goodnight. Choo! Choo!