Every one of my nine children is completely different in looks, temperament, talents and interests. Sometimes I wonder where such diversity came from. However just a glance at the vast gene pool available and the wide variety among our extended families, it is no great conundrum. What is fascinating though is that each individual's basic personality remained constant right through to their adult years. Their gifts matured but did not change.
Matthew, my first born, was a practical, down to earth thinker even as a baby. At ten months he sat for hours, studying household objects intently, placing them one at a time into a pail, only to dump everything out and start all over again.
In contrast, my next child, Melissa, yanked out all the books off the book shelf as fast as she could, twice a day. At least I knew where she was. One afternoon, before she could walk, I walked into the kitchen to find her sitting on the fridge! I froze, then yelled for my husband to witness this extraordinary event because I knew no one would believe my word alone.
My son uses the same approach to solve problems that he did at 10 months old. Sit back and study the problem in silence. When he has considered all the possibilities then he simply fixes it!
Matthew, my first born, was a practical, down to earth thinker even as a baby. At ten months he sat for hours, studying household objects intently, placing them one at a time into a pail, only to dump everything out and start all over again.
In contrast, my next child, Melissa, yanked out all the books off the book shelf as fast as she could, twice a day. At least I knew where she was. One afternoon, before she could walk, I walked into the kitchen to find her sitting on the fridge! I froze, then yelled for my husband to witness this extraordinary event because I knew no one would believe my word alone.
Matthew played checkers at four with the seriousness of a master thinker while Melissa hopped on one foot, moved checkers hither and yon and managed to completely frustrate her unflappable father. They were both happy to avoid that father/daughter activity for years.
At seven, Matthew perched on a stool, silently watching his dad in the workshop for hours. One day, Michael, half muttering to himself, agonised over a problem. Matthew finally spoke up, "Dad, if you turn it this way it should work."
The little squirt was right and his father was so amazed that he mentioned this incident at Matthew's wedding this year! Another time, the next summer, a neighbour struggled to put a wheelbarrow together. This man had the instructions, but Matthew, sitting on a nearby log spoke up,
"Ron, you have the part upside down!"
Ron, still impressed 15 years later, related this story, laughing and shaking his head.
The little squirt was right and his father was so amazed that he mentioned this incident at Matthew's wedding this year! Another time, the next summer, a neighbour struggled to put a wheelbarrow together. This man had the instructions, but Matthew, sitting on a nearby log spoke up,
"Ron, you have the part upside down!"
Ron, still impressed 15 years later, related this story, laughing and shaking his head.
It does seem funny that our children can be so different from each other in so many ways. My two looked very much alike but had completely different personalities, interests and tempermants.
ReplyDeleteKathy
same parents, same food, same enviroment
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