There is a nice tree that sits just 6 or 8 feet from the front of our house. The boys love to climb in the tree and have been doing so since they were three years old. They call it "The Giving Tree" (named after the tree in the book, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein). At this point they can confidently climb through all the branches-- even the highest ones. Given how often they are in the tree I was amazed to discover that a robin had made her nest there this spring. I often saw her coming and going from the nest while the boys played all around it. We were even more amazed to just recently realize that baby birds are now alive in the nest. The mama robin comes and goes to feed her babies. At one point when she was out to find food, Kyle and Owen were able to climb high into the tree and peer into the nest. We hadn't known how many baby birds there were. The boys were delighted to find that there were two. "Twins!" I was so curious myself that I managed to climb up into the tree with the boys and my camera to get a photo of what was tucked inside the nest (click photos to enlarge). Meanwhile, Meera just looked on from the yard by the tree, content as usual.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Robin's Nest
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4 comments:
Please tell me how you let go and just let K&O climb those trees (especially at age 3). I have a two year old and want to do the same, but it makes me sooo nervous.
Robyn,
I guess the way I have always thought about my parenting is this: To not try to control them, but rather to empower them to control themselves. In the case of tree climbing (or other dangerous adventures), I've always tried hard to let them go and learn their own limitations. I tell them often, when they are doing such things, "Use your mind! Think about what you are doing!" They have never been seriously injured by any of these 'dangerous' things (thank God!)... and they are very careful and thoughtful when they are pushing their physical capacities. I try to relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy witnessing them go. At age 2 K & O were riding 2-wheeled scooters and swimming like crazy with no floatation devices and climbing high on jungle gyms, etc. Part of it is simply that they are physically gifted, so it makes the task of trusting them relatively easy.
Yours in the challenges of parenting,
Heather
Hey Heather, do you guys not have helmets laws where you live? Here there is a hefty fine for kids under 18 riding without them.
Being a nurse and having seen some horrible head injuries I am a bit neurotic on the helmet thing.
Oops, just realized i already asked that question! Sorry....my mind is eroding.
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