Like I'm sure many other parents-to-be do, before the Bean was born I imagined what kind of activities we might enjoy doing together. For some it may be football, or baking, or building model aeroplanes. M-Big had visions of M-Little in a tiny judo suit. I envisaged gardening.
I know you can't force a child to like the things you do, but I would love it if he loved gardening, or at least enjoyed pottering about outside while I chatted to my azaleas. The early signs have been pretty good - he decapitates daisies in the park with particular gusto and has shown a taste for dirt, pebbles and sand.
Though it takes some serious creative license to call our piddly little balcony a 'garden', over the last few years I've done my best to add a bit of greenery and colour to our otherwise very urban view. So, now that it's warm enough to fling open the French doors without worrying about coats (or even pants, on some days), it's time to let the Bean have a little go.
Yesterday he put on his cutest baby Havaianas and prettiest nappy cover. He squirted the plants with water (and maybe also Daddy a little bit), swept some soil from side to side, and tried very hard to be GENTLE with Mama's flowers.
I know you can't force a child to like the things you do, but I would love it if he loved gardening, or at least enjoyed pottering about outside while I chatted to my azaleas. The early signs have been pretty good - he decapitates daisies in the park with particular gusto and has shown a taste for dirt, pebbles and sand.
Though it takes some serious creative license to call our piddly little balcony a 'garden', over the last few years I've done my best to add a bit of greenery and colour to our otherwise very urban view. So, now that it's warm enough to fling open the French doors without worrying about coats (or even pants, on some days), it's time to let the Bean have a little go.
Yesterday he put on his cutest baby Havaianas and prettiest nappy cover. He squirted the plants with water (and maybe also Daddy a little bit), swept some soil from side to side, and tried very hard to be GENTLE with Mama's flowers.
I'm pleased to report that no plants were decapitated, but we do need to work on making the balcony as a whole more toddler-friendly. There are too many things for a Bean to trip over, too many things he shouldn't touch. There isn't really anything he can really explore or play with without me silently freaking out in the background (I guess that's the price you pay for three years of careful toddler-free nurturing).
So now I'm racking my brains about how to make it more suitable, more inclusive. Some kind of toddler activity station with pebbles, harmless plants, a watering can? How to do this while making sure nothing gets dropped on unsuspecting pedestrians eight floors below? All ideas and suggestions welcome...
So now I'm racking my brains about how to make it more suitable, more inclusive. Some kind of toddler activity station with pebbles, harmless plants, a watering can? How to do this while making sure nothing gets dropped on unsuspecting pedestrians eight floors below? All ideas and suggestions welcome...
