Connecting through their world

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series.

"... He lets the hyper hybrid power source take over and maneuver its way through the nefarious Hull-filled atmosphere...Abort. Abort! Danger ahead! ..."

This goes on for several more minutes, as I hold my morning mug and try to stay alert to grasp the foreign language brick adventure lingo my 11 and 6 year olds use daily to communicate.

I listen.

I frown.

I nod in agreement or shake my head in disbelief (the bad guy has done whaaat???)

I ask questions, even if they are Lame Level 10 questions.

I will admit there have been times I was less than amused by all the silly fantasy, loud unruly shenanigans all over the house, and just their quirky activities.

Do you have the children who show profound interest in a topic or activity and pursue it passionately?

My dear friend Carol is uber-talented at sitting on the floor with my boys and talking Legos, and she's the queen of conversation extenders!

It appears second nature to her, as I've seen her do this with other children and other interests. She engages as if nothing else is happening in the world at that very moment, because she is IN THEIR WORLD.

My oldest son said to me the other day when Miss Carol was reaching into his Lego bins and I followed along pretending to be up on my hip Lego swagger, "I love it when you talk Legos, Mom!"

Yes, there was a total tone of surprise in his voice because let's face it, who CAN remember the different names of all the plastic molded thingies that litter his bedroom floor on any given day?

But those are his creations. They are part of his world.

They are important to him.

And I show that I'm embracing his individuality and speaking his language (well, sorta, on the language part).

Regardless of their age, whether their passion is the outdoors, nature, crafting, sewing, baseball, cooking, building, singing, dancing, drawing, computers, comic books, Math, History, being superheros...

Step into their world and give them the affirmation, the security, the affection, the unconditional acceptance they long for when they show you their uniqueness and what makes them one-of-a-kind.

They are inviting you to see it through their eyes.

You are being afforded a glimpse of their sense of wonder and excitement, a glimpse of what could likely be their gift to the world.

At that very moment, it is their gift to you.