May 20, 2012

Top 5 Things I Love About Kids

This post is linking up with Kate Takes 5's Listography.
What are your favorite things about kids?


Here are mine:

1. Excitement

Whether it's a trip to the beach, a playdate with a friend or raisin toast for breakfast, kids feel and show excitement in a way that's infectious - or at least entertaining. Sometimes I think they live their lives in a state of pent-up excitement which is just waiting for something to let it out. I'm not sure what age this disappears but I sense between 8 and 12 or so (depending on how exciting the exciting thing is).
Even now some things that used to cause my kids immense excitement are now completely passe. But it's funny when they are trying to act too-cool-for-school and then forget themselves at the prospect of an ice-cream or a playdate and run squealing with glee in happy circles again.


2. Memories

I'm not really stealing this one from Kate (who lists it in hers) because I remark on this all the time. It's gobsmackingly amazing to me how far back kids can remember. I've noticed a rough benchmark that little kids can remember back 2 years. They often amazed me at four and five by relating back events in fine detail which happened when they were two. Interestingly now they are six they seem to remember back to when they were three or so, but have lost memories of some of the events they used to talk about, which happened at two or three. I guess as we grow our memories condense, and of course the older you get the more there is to remember, so some of it is going to get lost.


3. Invention

It can be new words (M. still says "pokypine" for porcupine and "glue-tack" for Blu-Tack), crafts (making the Loch Ness Monster out of archive boxes), new tastes (peanut butter and Vegemite sandwiches - eugh!) or elaborate fantasy sequences in their games (my cousin says kids take longer to set up games than to play them). Kids are fountains of invention.  I also love seeing them learn new things and incorporate them into their speech, games and art, creating new twists on it all along the way.


4. Affection

Young kids are often so affectionate. As babies I had one (A.) very cuddly and affectionate and one (M.) less so, but as they got older it was (and is) often M. who was clambering all over me or clinging to my legs or back as I tried to go about my daily business. From a baby A. used to clasp my face in her hands and smile, and as a baby and toddler would want to go to sleep with one hand flat on my face or rubbing my cheek with her hand. Even now when she cuddles into me she will do it sometimes.

M. had to learn affection - I still remember her as a toddler giving my cheek an experimental kiss in a way that suggested she was thinking "I believe this is what one does to please one's mother and yet I fail to understand the appeal." She went through a rather long phase where her method of showing affection was to hit or push, and was quite resistant to kisses and cuddles.
Now she is very affectionate especially at night-time, but she will still often duck or shrink away from a kiss.

But if I or their Dad says "Kiss and Cuddle..." they will both throw themselves at us, arms round our necks and squeezing tight, which is more than catnip for parents - it's what we live for!



5. Art

I love, love, LOVE children's art. Whether it's Aelita Andre or the gifted child in the art class whose work makes your jaw drop or the gleeful scribblings of any child with a box of crayons, it's all glorious. There is wonder, colour and movement in children's art and somehow every child, at some point, manages to turn out a mini masterpiece.





What are your favorite things about kids?
To see what others have posted, or to link your own post, 




15 comments:

  1. Hi Jackie,

    Innocence
    Fun
    Silliness
    Affection
    Laughter

    :0)

    Cheers

    PM

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    Replies
    1. A great 5, PM! I love the laughter too, and the silliness. Gives us an excuse to join in too. I just put on a dancing show for my two before they went to bed, running man, disco, robot, air guitar and all. Much laughter :)

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  2. Great list. I have a kiss avoider too. I am allowed to kiss his head! He tries, bless! He actually kissed me the other day- first time in years!

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    1. And isn't that great when a non-kisser kisses you?! I have to stop myself crying from happiness and scaring her with a teary bear hug ;)

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  3. Awww, what a lovely list. With my only child about to turn thirteen in a few days, the absence of joyful innocence has been sadly noted, but there's five things I still love:

    * her wicked - adult like - sense of humour. She had LC and I roaring with laughter at lunch today
    * her determination to better herself - she takes her school work seriously and is, at the very second I'm typing this, running on the treadmill
    * her affection. Thank goodness she is naturally a hug and kiss lover and still needs a cuddle after a bad day
    * her powers of observation. The ability to 'see' objects in other objects, or nature's patterns or weird designs makes us often view the seemingly ordinary in a very different light.
    * her wisdom. Being an adolescent is tough for everyone, but some of the lessons she's learned or how she can sum up why other kids behave the way they do humbles me. I was so clueless at the same age.

    NOW you've inspired me to write a post about her!

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    Replies
    1. So great Kath -love this list from an older-kids perspective. All good things, and your post is beautiful. Thanks x

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  4. I was a kiss avoider with my mum and still am really, my Oh's not a touchy feely person, so I'm hoping my little one will buck the trend.

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  5. Loving your list. That point about remembering 2 years back is really interested and I can totally relate to it with mine. Thanks for joining in. x

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    1. Thanks Kate, joining Listography is always great, I'm new to it but love it. Great topic this month. I loved your list too.

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  6. Great list. You've got to love the lovely, cute little drawings they do -especially when they start school and you could paper the walls with their creations! :-)

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    1. Thanks Wendy - yes so true, our art box, walls, fridge and um, recycle bin, get hammered. I scan my favourites but can't keep up :)

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  8. Hey Jackie, love your list. Affection is pretty special - I have one who gives hugs and kisses for free. Quite often I'll be doing something like the washing up and all of a sudden there'll be a small boy hugging my legs! So sweet. Love the pictures too. I have a bulging drawer full of 'works of art' - need to go through it, but it's hard...
    I'm a bit late to the party with my list - had a quick check to make sure I hadn't picked the same ones!
    Hope you have a great weekend x

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    1. Thanks - you're right those little random affectionate hugs and kisses are the best!

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