Life with children is wonderful. They are constantly learning and growing. Sometimes this process can be quite funny.
One evening during dinner, Celora, our 3 year old daughter, accidentally bit her finger. She doesn’t like using the utensils we provide her with. She prefers the ones that Yahweh gave her. J Well, she began to cry. I went to see if she had broken the skin, and to kiss her owie. Nothing would calm her. Her daddy decided to have some fun. “Let’s try yogurt on it.” And he proceeded to spoon strawberry yogurt onto her bitten finger. It worked! She loved it! Throughout dinner she would dab her finger into her yogurt and then lick it off. Success! Many dinners have been “less than successful” at our house due to an inconsolable child. There were smiles all around the table that night.
A few days later I was concerned about a rash that had appeared on Celora’s bottom. She is learning all the facets of potty training and sometimes doesn’t get herself as clean as she should. I asked her if she would like some ointment on her bottom. There are always children lurking about in our home, and Shanah, the 5 year old, overheard this question to her sister. “Maybe she’d like yogurt on it!” Shanah said with a dimpled grin. HA! Children are priceless!
Another evening spent with daddy yielded a fun teaching moment. Ethan is our baby man, everyone’s favorite (for now). Several weeks ago he was just beginning to take steps on his own. He stood in the middle of the living room and haltingly took 3 or 4 steps before falling to the floor. We all burst out with applause! He looked around at each of us and began to clap too. We marveled at how a small bit of praise had made him smile and forget his tumble. Daddy said, “I think we should clap for each other whenever someone does something well.”
The next day we were all going somewhere together in the van. Our 10 year old son, Dylon, told us all he had raked the leaves earlier without being told. The girls began to clap. He smiled.
It doesn’t take loads of money to make a child happy. It does take spending time together; talking, laughing, and encouraging them; and maybe a dollop of yogurt. J
Laura Blair