Posts by Jackie Clark
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Isabel Hitchings,
I would imagine that any form of martial arts would be tremendous for making those body/brain connections, Isabel. The physical thing I'm talking about isn't so much about ability really (let's face it, I was never athletic, though I did like swimming). I think it's just the doing.
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I have to go out, Emma, so I'll write something longer this afternoon, but darling, our darling.
Oh, how it hurts, how it stings, how it strengthens us and makes us more human. How it shapes us and turns us.
All my love. All of it. -
Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Isabel Hitchings,
That is certainly all to do with crawling, Isabel. Being able to cross midlines (from side to side, top to bottom), is incredibly important. (Don't worry, I'm not saying any child who doesn't commando crawl is not at a huge disadvantage later on. Some kids do it, some don't). Also incredibly important is the vestibular system (ie balance) - and that's strengthened by things like hanging upside down, twirling round and round. That sort of thing. If you're interested, there is an educator called Gill Connell. She started a programme called Perceptual Motor Programming. It doesn't have to do with cognitive ability, but more about the ability later in life to apply cognition - the idea is that the developing of perception (self, space, and time) is important for a child's later success at a number of skills. This is her website. You don't have to do the courses, or anything, but she does a DVD and a book. I'm gaga about some parts of it, because, as an educator, it makes huge sense to me. And she makes some interesting points, if you ever get to hear her. How we have completely abandoned the physical, in some parts of society, in favour of the cerebral, not understanding fully just how intimately the two are connected. You can judge for yourself. Anyway, my point was, that body stuff is brain stuff.
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I know there is a need to keep from over protecting children, but the point at which they need to explore a water environment and perform feats of daring is after they’ve gained considerable proficiency in the water.
Dyan? That was one of your "no shit, sherlock" moments, love!
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Hard News: Holiday Open Thread 1: Beach…, in reply to Steve Barnes,
Hurray. I'll be up for that.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to recordari,
I have to say, J, that I do so love hearing about kids conquering hard shit. It means they have learned perseverance, not something that seems to be greatly valued these days.
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Hard News: Holiday Open Thread 1: Beach…, in reply to Ngaire BookieMonster,
One of my closest friends has had up to 9 cats living with her. She started with 1 who then had kittens and she kept them all, and then a couple came to live with her. They have all died now, so there are 2 relatively young cats, one of whom was a stray (who is diabetic and has 3 legs) and one who she inherited from her mother in law. She is very much a cat person - I'm seeing her tomorrow. I must tell her about the cat farming. She'll like that!
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to recordari,
No! I don’t think you’re insane at all. You were in the water, you were watching, they were having fun. What’s insane about that? I was afraid that my post was a bit judgey pants, and now I know that it came off a bit like that. I was just empathising with Danielle and Ben re their Piha feelings. I am a huge fan of non coddley parenting, believe me. So many important skills are not being learned by children today because their parents are afraid to let them do what’s completely natural for children – explore, discover, and scare themselves a little. I am hoping that you can come to mine, and bring your girls. They will LOVE the pool. And also? Headcounting other people and their kids? That's above and beyond, my friend.
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To Ben and Danielle: I feel you. All those West Coast beaches are horrendously dangerous, and I really don’t understand why – unless you’re a surfer – you would want to go in the water at all. In the shallows maybe. As you say, Recordari, if you're going in with kids, you better keep those eyes peeled.
I’m not normally afraid of water, I’m what you’d call a water baby, but a few years ago, we took my English sister in law’s parents out to Piha. I was standing with my, at that time, very young niece at the water’s edge with our toes in the water. When the water sucked out, it did so strongly enough to have bowled her off her feet if I wasn’t holding her hand, and then surged back in so strongly, it washed past my knees. Caught me completely by surprise. Luckily by that stage, I had picked her up, And I am not ashamed to say that I got out of there very fast, with her clutched to my hip.
I watch Piha Rescue avidly and it gives me the shits that there are people swimming there who obviously 1) are not strong swimmers or 2) cannot swim at all. I understand tourists go out there, – it is, after all, a beautiful stretch of beach – but shouldn’t there be some sort of advisory on a NZ website somewhere that tells people emphatically that if they cannot swim, don’t start doing so at Piha? When you go out to Muriwai, very few people go out further than the shallows. Perhaps more locals go there? -
Hard News: Holiday Open Thread 1: Beach…, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,
@ the picnic, no, Jacqui. She's incontinent, and it can get a little messy! But some time, I hope you will. She's a lovely pup.