They Are Watching

Here’s a cute story with a simple yet profound lesson:

Recently, we’ve begun feeding Liam, our five-month-old, cereal several times a day. Those first few times were a struggle. Learning how to open your mouth, receive a spoon, and resisting the tongue thrust reflex to push the food back out with your tongue are all difficult things! We are very clearly not born knowing how to do them.

As the weeks have progressed, clear improvement has taken place, to the point where Liam sits with his mouth open to signal he is ready for his next bite. He understands his hands need to stay down and away from the spoon (with occasional reminders, of course) and the eating cereal experience has become much more pleasant all around, for the feeder and eater alike. 

The other evening, Ronny (my husband) and I were sharing some dairy-free ice cream (any other breastfeeding moms try to cut out dairy too?). We were passing the spoon back and forth, or rather, I was getting bites and handing them to Ronny as he lay on the couch with Liam on his chest.

During one of the handoffs, I looked up to see Liam sitting with his mouth open, waiting for a bite. 

It was adorable.

Also, it was incredible to realize that even though words are not part of his abilities yet, he is still able to ask for something. Human development is wild.

One thing stuck out to me about the interaction. Apart from being one of the cutest and sweetest things he’s done, it reminded me that he is watching. He is capable of learning and is watching us as he learns. 

Countless times throughout the day I’ll look over and find he’s been staring at me without my being aware.

He is watching. 

So the question becomes, what is he seeing? 

What am I, as his parent, demonstrating in my day-to-day activities that he is learning from? My hope is most of those things are good, but I’m certain I could improve (and will always be in that process). 

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. 

Proverbs 22:6

More often than not, that training is done unintentionally, in moments when you’re not even aware you’re teaching your child something. They’re watching. What is it that they’re learning as they watch?

For those non-parents out there, this goes beyond influencing a child. What is your influence? Who are you influencing? When people are watching, what are they learning from and about you? This idea really applies to all of us. 

Let’s be the type of people who carry a positive influence.