Jennifer wants me to post some cute kid stories.

[conuly]

They haven't been overly cute lately, but let's see....

Today Ana did some word problems with me for practice and she noticed when she messed up. Admittedly she then got frustrated, but I still was pretty happy and told her so. We did a few two-step problems as well, and I carefully explained to her how to write out each step before you do it. (So if the problem is "X is 68 inches tall on a stool. The stool is 9 inches tall. How much taller is X than the stool?" she would write out "How tall is X?" and "How much taller is he than the stool?" so she doesn't get lost.). This, of course, is pointless, she never forgets halfway through! *eyeroll* If I keep on insisting she does this, though, she'll eventually make it a habit even though she doesn't want to, and then it'll be true that she doesn't forget halfway through what she's doing.

She also did this amazing flippy spinny thing on the bannister today where she flung herself wildly over the stairwell. I was genuinely impressed, as was Jenn, and we told her a. never to do it again or at least b. not where anybody will see her. It was impressively frightening, though there's no point telling her things aren't safe. (Jenn turned her back on her the other day for a few seconds and she ended up three stories high in a tree. She's constantly frustrated that I don't let her climb trees, but my problem is that these trees are both in other people's yards and clearly visible from the sidewalk. Whatever you may think of casual trespassing, you really can't do it where the whole neighborhood will see you, especially if you're up in a tree.)

Comments

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

I like your attitude! "Don't let anyone see you! Don't do it in public up a tree!"

Realistic! ;-)

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

If you're a cute female child, the fact is that you can get away with an outrageous amount of casual trespassing, exploration and climbing-of-things, even directly in the public view, and no one will say anything. If someone (probably an Auntie) does say something, all they're going to do is scold a bit - one apologizes insincerely, and keeps a sharper eye out for them next time.

For all the disadvantages there are to being a bold and adventurous girlchild in a sexist society, this is one advantage: not being on everybody's Usual Suspects list. Older teen and young adult males have it worst; they can hardly walk down the sidewalk in broad daylight without being evaluated by the Minority Report, but boys in general are suspected of being Up To No Good much more often than girls. People in general seem to worry more about a girl coming to harm, than causing it.

Is there any way Ana can get into gymnastics or rock-climbing or something?

[conuly]

Is there any way Ana can get into gymnastics or rock-climbing or something?

Rock climbing classes don't start until she's a bit older, not that I've found that are also at a convenient time and affordable.

Gymnastics... we've got to get on that, but again, it's hard to get a good TIME for those.

But yes, it's definitely on the list, "Find Ana something to do with all that climbing energy". We don't have that many good climbing trees in our neighborhood, even in other people's yards, that's the OTHER reason I don't want her in them. They don't go very high, and the branches are too thin.