A Letter to Baby Ben
Dear Baby Ben,
While I am currently calling you Baby Ben, I know that the day will come when you say, "I'm not a baby" and I will have to call you just Ben or Benjamin, but that's okay.
Even though you are only one month old, I know some things about you already and one of them is that you will grow and develop as intended so I'm not worried about that.
You will learn to roll over, sit up by yourself, crawl, walk, run, feed yourself with a spoon (after a fashion), talk, and probably scream a little as well. Sorry, I almost forgot about climbing, throwing, and riding a bike!
You'll have plenty of help learning the names and sounds of letters, how to count, how to read, and how to write because your parents and others will help you do that. You will also have plenty of time for all of that "stuff" so please feel free to remind grown ups not to rush you!
I also know that you are and will be loved by lots and lots of people. You have parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, great grandparents, and cousins who will love you to the moon and back.
I'm not worried about that either.
So while I don't have any worries for you, I do have some "hopes" for you.
I hope that you will be given many opportunities to play outdoors and use large motor skills to move in many ways. You will be growing up in a world saturated with technology, which will be great, but remember to spend lots of time in the backyard too. FYI- puddles can be extremely entertaining!
I hope that you will learn to quiet your body to focus on discussions, stories, and tasks and demonstrate impulse control.
I hope you will show persistence of task when cleaning up your toys at home or school.
I hope you will use small motor skills in increasingly complex ways because research has shown that children with well-developed muscle skills, both large and small, are ready and able to grow as writers, artists, musicians, and athletes without physical frustration!
I hope you will learn to negotiate turn taking and sharing with toys and working cooperatively with others.
I hope you will learn to manage and express strong feelings appropriately, understand the feelings and needs of others, and resolve conflicts in a constructive way because outcomes in school and later life are dependent on you knowing how to interact successfully with others!
Most of all I hope you develop strong, loving relationships with other children, your family members, and your teachers. I hope you will always feel safe and secure and have a sense of belonging in your environment.
So, Baby Ben, I know that this is a lot to take in, but remember my number one piece of advice about growth and development. Don't panic! Everything will happen in it's own time and you will have lots and lots of support. In the meantime, lay back and relax. You've got this!
With all my love,
Great Aunt Beth
That's it for now.
Check back later!
While I am currently calling you Baby Ben, I know that the day will come when you say, "I'm not a baby" and I will have to call you just Ben or Benjamin, but that's okay.
Even though you are only one month old, I know some things about you already and one of them is that you will grow and develop as intended so I'm not worried about that.
You will learn to roll over, sit up by yourself, crawl, walk, run, feed yourself with a spoon (after a fashion), talk, and probably scream a little as well. Sorry, I almost forgot about climbing, throwing, and riding a bike!
You'll have plenty of help learning the names and sounds of letters, how to count, how to read, and how to write because your parents and others will help you do that. You will also have plenty of time for all of that "stuff" so please feel free to remind grown ups not to rush you!
I also know that you are and will be loved by lots and lots of people. You have parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, great grandparents, and cousins who will love you to the moon and back.
I'm not worried about that either.
So while I don't have any worries for you, I do have some "hopes" for you.
I hope that you will be given many opportunities to play outdoors and use large motor skills to move in many ways. You will be growing up in a world saturated with technology, which will be great, but remember to spend lots of time in the backyard too. FYI- puddles can be extremely entertaining!
I hope that you will learn to quiet your body to focus on discussions, stories, and tasks and demonstrate impulse control.
I hope you will show persistence of task when cleaning up your toys at home or school.
I hope you will use small motor skills in increasingly complex ways because research has shown that children with well-developed muscle skills, both large and small, are ready and able to grow as writers, artists, musicians, and athletes without physical frustration!
I hope you will learn to negotiate turn taking and sharing with toys and working cooperatively with others.
I hope you will learn to manage and express strong feelings appropriately, understand the feelings and needs of others, and resolve conflicts in a constructive way because outcomes in school and later life are dependent on you knowing how to interact successfully with others!
Most of all I hope you develop strong, loving relationships with other children, your family members, and your teachers. I hope you will always feel safe and secure and have a sense of belonging in your environment.
So, Baby Ben, I know that this is a lot to take in, but remember my number one piece of advice about growth and development. Don't panic! Everything will happen in it's own time and you will have lots and lots of support. In the meantime, lay back and relax. You've got this!
With all my love,
Great Aunt Beth
That's it for now.
Check back later!
This makes me smile. I hope it's ok for me to share it on Facebook -- such excellent advice!! (But, at some point, you'll have to advise him about really good April Fool's tricks -- like light bulb strings. ��������) Terry Paulson (aka, as grandmother, Moogie. It's a Star Trek thing.)
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