Child’s Imagination Inspires a More Present Mom

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“Play is the work of a child.” -Maria Montessori 

It’s the last day of the month and my submission for SMB is due within 24 hours, or else I will not be eligible for an entry into a drawing for a fabulous prize. The perks of being a contributor are really good! I seem to have good ol’ case of blogger’s block. As I sit here trying to come up with something really meaningful and special to encourage fellow moms in their day, I keep getting interrupted by my 5-year-old, who was given the privilege of getting to play out front on the driveway.

I’ve got my spot in front of the window so I can keep an eye on him, but he keeps coming up to the window to give me kisses and wanting me to watch him do tricks and stuff. As frustrated as I get when he comes over to steal my attention, I can’t help but watch him when he’s not looking. I love seeing his imagination at work. These days, he’s hard at work pretending to be a mechanic and fixing his race car. Christmas 2016, when he was 4 years old, Santa brought him this cool “vehicle” that looks like a combination recumbent bicycle/go kart. It’s black with red and white stripes and a #1 painted down the front of it. He calls it the #1 Racer. What he likes to do is flip it upside down, wheels up and then he lays on his skateboard and rolls underneath it to go to work. Of course, he has all the necessary tools of a mechanic, like a hammer, a screwdriver and a saw. And just now, he caught me Googling images of the #1 Racer and asked me if I was going to order him some jets for it. “Yes, son. That’s exactly what you need.” 

As I continue to sit here, creative juices completely dry and uninspired as to what to write, I’m watching the most creative imagination I’ve ever known just flowing free. It makes me think about how precious those brilliant imaginations are and how wonderful it is to get to help foster and encourage the process. I’m reminded that no matter what needs to get done and by when, my most important task in any day is to be present with my boys and to also take time to simply watch and observe them at play. Rather than take off to clean the kitchen, stay put and delight in watching their quirks and habits, and to melt over the way my son sits back, blows a big gust of breath out of his mouth as he either admires his handy work or contemplates his next move. He caught me watching him so here he comes to give me a kiss through the window and tell me something that I can’t really hear because of our energy efficient windows. I’ll wrap this post up now because I have to place a special order for some jet boosters or some such thing.  

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh the thinks you can think up, if you only try.” Dr. Seuss