My wife Jan and I watch my 18-month old grandson Noah once each week, and we look forward to it. Sometimes we’ll do an activity outside the home with him, but more often it’s playing with him at his home, taking him outside in the backyard, or for walks around the block. I push him in a plastic cart, or pull him in a wagon.
I’d rather push, because I can keep an eye on him. I’m afraid he may stand up without my knowing it, testing himself, but, frankly, I haven’t seen it yet. He’s very well-behaved.
Last week, my wife had a doctor appointment, so my son Matthew installed the car seat in our car, and packed a diaper bag. You forget how much equipment you carry with you when traveling with young children.
The waiting room was large and comfortable. Jan was called in to see the doctor shortly after we arrived, and I remained with Noah in the waiting room.
There were several others waiting, generally people over 60, often what appeared to be married couples. Noah walked up to one or two, and waved and said hello.
As we all sat waiting for something or other, Noah entertained himself and the others in room by climbing, exploring, watching and talking. He found a computer in an alcove, climbed into the chair, and began tapping the keys. He reached forward several times toward the monitor screen and pushed buttons on the lower right, in an effort to turn it on. Fortunately, the on/off switch was reasonably concealed from him.
After a while, Noah’s Amma emerged from the doctor visit, and he greeted her return as if he hadn’t seen her for months. He loves his Amma.
It was around time for lunch, and we traveled toward Twelve Oaks Mall, where we settled on a McDonald’s. We were hoping for one with a play land, but that didn’t appear to us. We bought lunch and moved to a table. I asked where to find the high chairs, and the woman behind the counter directed me to the play land, on the other side of the wall from where we were sitting.
The play land is a bit intimidating to the grandfather of a toddler. The kids playing on it are all older and bigger, and the top of the thing is about three stories high.
Noah ate his lunch as we watched them play, and then we turned him loose in the play structure. He slowly, carefully climbed a set of stairs, and as he reached the second floor, I got nervous. I looked at the rules and found that adults were allowed inside, so I followed him up the stairs.
I quickly caught up to him. He looked back, recognized me, and continued to climb.
I began to notice that as we ascended, the ceiling of the structure gradually dropped, so that by its very top, I was on my hands and knees.
My biggest concern was the slide. If he were entirely on his own, it would be OK. But he was surrounded by other busy playing kids, and Noah doesn’t yet understand the protocols of safe slide usage – avoid stopping in the middle of the slide, for instance - with a three story descent.
Fortunately, he decided against a turn on the tall slide, around the same time than Jan said she had found another shorter, safer slide.
We descended the three stories, and found a slide more to his liking. He enjoys being with other kids, and they tend to like him as well. A little girl in particular, maybe four years old, took a strong interest in him and at one point got behind him, wrapped her arms around him, and carried him toward a small room with basketball hoops at different heights.
I asked her to put him down, but she ignored me as she walked past me. Fortunately, Jan had gotten help from the girl’s mother, so Noah was released. He played for a while longer, and we left shortly thereafter – no tantrums, no tears - and Noah fell asleep in the car on the way home.
When I spend time with him, it’s like being on vacation. You are whisked away from your cares and responsibilities, and all that lies ahead is fun with a little boy, whose world grows by leaps and bounds every waking moment. And Amma and Pa are there to show it to him, and to share it with him. It really doesn’t get much better.
Jerry LaVaute is a special writer for Heritage Newspapers. He can be reached at glavaute@gmail.com or call 1-734-740-0062.
I’d rather push, because I can keep an eye on him. I’m afraid he may stand up without my knowing it, testing himself, but, frankly, I haven’t seen it yet. He’s very well-behaved.
Last week, my wife had a doctor appointment, so my son Matthew installed the car seat in our car, and packed a diaper bag. You forget how much equipment you carry with you when traveling with young children.
The waiting room was large and comfortable. Jan was called in to see the doctor shortly after we arrived, and I remained with Noah in the waiting room.
There were several others waiting, generally people over 60, often what appeared to be married couples. Noah walked up to one or two, and waved and said hello.
As we all sat waiting for something or other, Noah entertained himself and the others in room by climbing, exploring, watching and talking. He found a computer in an alcove, climbed into the chair, and began tapping the keys. He reached forward several times toward the monitor screen and pushed buttons on the lower right, in an effort to turn it on. Fortunately, the on/off switch was reasonably concealed from him.
After a while, Noah’s Amma emerged from the doctor visit, and he greeted her return as if he hadn’t seen her for months. He loves his Amma.
It was around time for lunch, and we traveled toward Twelve Oaks Mall, where we settled on a McDonald’s. We were hoping for one with a play land, but that didn’t appear to us. We bought lunch and moved to a table. I asked where to find the high chairs, and the woman behind the counter directed me to the play land, on the other side of the wall from where we were sitting.
The play land is a bit intimidating to the grandfather of a toddler. The kids playing on it are all older and bigger, and the top of the thing is about three stories high.
Noah ate his lunch as we watched them play, and then we turned him loose in the play structure. He slowly, carefully climbed a set of stairs, and as he reached the second floor, I got nervous. I looked at the rules and found that adults were allowed inside, so I followed him up the stairs.
I quickly caught up to him. He looked back, recognized me, and continued to climb.
I began to notice that as we ascended, the ceiling of the structure gradually dropped, so that by its very top, I was on my hands and knees.
My biggest concern was the slide. If he were entirely on his own, it would be OK. But he was surrounded by other busy playing kids, and Noah doesn’t yet understand the protocols of safe slide usage – avoid stopping in the middle of the slide, for instance - with a three story descent.
Fortunately, he decided against a turn on the tall slide, around the same time than Jan said she had found another shorter, safer slide.
We descended the three stories, and found a slide more to his liking. He enjoys being with other kids, and they tend to like him as well. A little girl in particular, maybe four years old, took a strong interest in him and at one point got behind him, wrapped her arms around him, and carried him toward a small room with basketball hoops at different heights.
I asked her to put him down, but she ignored me as she walked past me. Fortunately, Jan had gotten help from the girl’s mother, so Noah was released. He played for a while longer, and we left shortly thereafter – no tantrums, no tears - and Noah fell asleep in the car on the way home.
When I spend time with him, it’s like being on vacation. You are whisked away from your cares and responsibilities, and all that lies ahead is fun with a little boy, whose world grows by leaps and bounds every waking moment. And Amma and Pa are there to show it to him, and to share it with him. It really doesn’t get much better.
Jerry LaVaute is a special writer for Heritage Newspapers. He can be reached at glavaute@gmail.com or call 1-734-740-0062.
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