Some of the best advice we’ve received to date about parenting is to be the expert on the world to our child. To introduce topics to him intentionally, and not wait until he’s exposed elsewhere to explain it. To answer questions our child asks, and keep on answering until he runs out of questions.

The other day when the weather was nice (longing sigh), I took my son out on the front porch to get some fresh air. We’re in the thick of the 4 month sleep regression, he had been fighting a nap, and both our nervous systems were frazzled. Once seated on the porch, he was instantly taken and very interested in the motion of the tree branches in the breeze, the birds and squirrel hopping around in the grass of the neighbors yards, and the cars going down our street.

After sitting in silence a while, I realized I had an opportunity. He was interested in the goings-on around him and–in a moment of clarity– I realized that before long he’ll be asking me questions about the things he sees. More than that, I realized that I need practice in telling him about his world.

So I chose the first bird I could recognize, and I told him all the things I knew about Robins. The little unassuming birds with the ruddy orange chests, and grayish brown bodies. The ones that mean spring is close. The ones who have white patches and un-hinged looking puffs of feathers on their heads when they’re little. I left out the part where I unknowingly broke Michigan State law by raising one in captivity when I was a teenager — did you know that Robins are the Michigan State bird and it’s illegal to keep them captive? 13 year old me did not, and raised a chick to adulthood before releasing her. Kira, I hope you’re alive and chirping out there somewhere!!

But I digress.

I don’t have a big takeaway here, other than that I’ve realized I need to start now with the habits that I want to have with my son when he’s bigger. It’s not like one day a switch will flip and he will understand english perfectly – I’m sure it’ll be a gradual process. Did he understand me about Robins? Surely not. But I need the practice, and if I keep talking to him, he’ll start understanding sooner than if I don’t.

Someday soon he’ll be talking my ear off with questions about where the birds come from, why the moon is round, and other questions I probably can’t anticipate yet. But I hope by then we have built the habit of noticing and being curious about the world together, and he grows to understand that I’ll always answer his questions, no matter what they are.

– M