Yesterday EvanMarie came to visit. I showed her my autoharp. It fascinated her for a short time. I suspect that the frustration of being unable to play it by herself caused her to lose interest sooner than she would have otherwise. The buttons are too hard for her fingers to press and the picks I use to strum don’t fit her tiny fingers.
Maria Montessori taught that adults should pay attention to the cry of a a young child’s heart, “Help me to do it by myself.” (Maria Montessori, Citizen of the World, p 34.) Children want to master whatever task is set before them, but if it’s impossible, due to the size of the tools or the limits of their strength, they tire of it and move on to something else. When they find an appropriate activity that’s almost, but not quite impossible, they are drawn in and want to repeat it until they fully master it.
Evan Marie was enamored with this set of Russian dolls – taking them apart and putting them together repeatedly almost every time she came to my house. Then, once she mastered it, she no longer showed any interest in them.
Tia Xhiv put out this new set as part of our Christmas decorations. It’s bigger and has not been taken apart and put back together repeatedly., The Santa is almost too big for Evan Marie’s hands. She asks for help to get it apart. Working with them renewed her interest in the Russian doll set. Today she had them all out and told us that they are her whole family.
My time these days, in between household chores like laundry and dishes, is mostly given to tasks like working to improve my fresh milled wheat sourdough bread, trying new recipes for family meals, reading, going for a walk in the neighborhood, working on a puzzle, or experimenting with watercolors. I also write a lot more than what you see here on my blog.
I don’t think the desire to master something new, to discover something yet unknown, necessarily diminishes with age. Lately I’m giving myself permission to take as long as I need and daring to ask for help too. Although I ignored her for years, perhaps it’s not too late for me to hear the pleas of my inner child, “Help me to do it by myself!”
The heart of the intelligent acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15
Inundated with Love 