It was interesting to go to the zoo with Meili this week. We did a lot of animal watching and even more people watching. I came to the conclusion that there are different ways to "go to the zoo."
Some of the things I noticed...
- people pushing children in strollers while talking on cell phones
- people dragging kids quickly from one animal to another in an attempt to "see everything"
- kids crying because they weren't done looking
- people talking at their kids in loud, high-pitched voices saying things like "Oh honey, LOOK! Did you see it move?"
- kids crying for many other reasons
Does a visit to the zoo have to be like this? Could a visit to the zoo be better? Less stress? Less harried? What if people put their cell phones away, picked a spot and just sat for a while with their children? Are we missing opportunities to talk to and listen to our children because we're always trying to do too much? I think so.
This week at the zoo, Meili and I just sat and watched. I think it was one of my favorite trips to the zoo with her. We mostly watched the bears this week. I loved listening to the comments and questions she shared. Things like - "Mama, why does the bear only have claws on his front feet?" or "Do you think the bear is lonely?" and "I never want to go into THAT cage. Those bears have big teeth." When we were done watching the bears we walked around for a little while and ended up watching the lions for a while. Then we were ready to go. We didn't see everything but that was ok. We took time to sit and appreciate a few amazing creatures and left wanting more. Now we can't wait to go back!
3 comments:
AMEN SISTER! So many studies have been done that show the devastating effects of NOT communicating orally with the young ones AND what a hurried-paced lifestyle does. Let's write an article together sometime!!
GREAT post, Liz! We love the zoo, too. I always try to talk to the volunteers there, get the names of the animals, etc. That way, my boys say "Let's go see Docha" when they want to hang out by the lions! And Just FYI -- the bears are Yogi And BooBoo. ;) Oh, and I think it's awesome that Meili enjoys the fine art of people watching.
A good reminder!
Sheryl
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