My son Takeh gathers trinkets from all over.He takes microphones and CDs from the TV stand, bookends from the bookshelf, and watches and calculators from the desk I use for work. Then, he places them on the dresser drawers that line the floor.
I wondered if he was pretending to tidy up, but it seemed odd since one of the four drawers was empty.I asked him if he had intentionally left it that way or if it couldn’t be helped.
“What’s this?” I inquired. I repeated incredulously. He appeared self-assured and responded, “A train!” “A train?”
He then sat on the empty drawer and exclaimed, “Shippatsu, shinkou!”
The empty drawer served as the driver’s seat for him to ride.
Kids commonly use dining chairs to roll around and play with toy trains. But I found it unique to use the drawer as a train. It’s a known fact that young children possess more flexible thinking, which my two-year-old just proved to me. I could not have imagined this as a train.
Maybe I should let the child’s mind wander and play with it as they like, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. It’s hard for a child to make something from scratch. Firstly, parents must display, listen to, and allow their kids to encounter fundamental information and concepts.
When I observed his creative “train play,” I was reminded afresh of the necessity for parents to give their offspring a range of knowledge and experiences.
(2023.06.11)
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