Mornings With Sam
I’ve determined that I really like to spend one-on-one time with Sam first thing in the morning. He’s shows a voracious appetite for stimulation and learning after a good night’s rest. Other than times where he’s very hungry or tired, he’s most always in a pleasant mood, but in the morning he’s happy and intuitive. This morning he found quite a bit of amusement from me simply holding and dropping three plastic balls as he sat in front of me. My goal was to help him integrate the concept of objects falling when unsupported - an integration that will come with many bumps and bruises I’m sure.
He’s very close to crawling. He has the arm, leg and torso strength, but can’t coordinate the effort quite yet. It’ll be within a week or so I’m betting. He’s also assembled many of the pieces to the walking puzzle too. With a little more balance, he could actually walk before he crawls. In his current state, he’s definitely showing signs of frustration as he can’t achieve the motion he clearly desires. I already see a strong sense of determination, which I find very encouraging.
Spending time with Sam highlights the importance of a hierarchy of knowledge, which we all accept implicitly, but often do not explicitly identify. In witnessing the progress of a new mind, I’m reminded that adherence to a hierarchy is the only key to progress. Any attempt to shortcut or neglect a step is a waste of time. He cannot even be in the position to crawl until he has the strength to raise his head, arch his back, extend his arms in front of him spaced appropriately to distribute his weight, open his hands to distribute the weight amongst all fingers, bend forward at his waist, and bend his knees and pull his legs up under his torso - all of which require many underlying coordinated movements. And there are only a few sequential combinations of these steps that will achieve his goal without gravity causing him to start from scratch. This is an enormous undertaking for a mind that was blank and a body with virtually no strength only six months ago. So much of our physical and mental aptitude are easily overlooked until you work with a child who’s yet to master basic coordination. To reconsider all the little things required for a task as simple as standing up, tasks that are automated and subconsciously executed, is an inspiring tribute to the human unification of matter and consciousness.
