Jackson (2 years old) and I went for a date this morning while Steven was at school.  He relished in the "just mom and me" time while we shared a bagel and read books for an hour.  I loved it too!

Jackson kissed and hugged me throughout the whole hour and was surprisingly still!  Amazing what filling that love tank can do.

Our date reminded me of an insightful article I read from Dr. Greenspan who invented "Floortime", a model of therapy for special needs kids.  I don't know if he's a Christian, but I think he is on to something that God was on to when He invented the family a few thousand years ago.  I have to laugh every time Dr. Greenspan says "new" or "we've just now discovered," because I know it was really God's first, but man always thinks we've figured out something "new"!

I added the words in parentheses, but the rest is from the Floortime website:

"There are three insights of the last twenty years that are the cornerstones of our new way of working with infants and children with developmental problems:

First Insight:  Language, cognition, as well as emotional and social skills are all learned through interactive relationships which involve affective exchanges. 

Now, (just a FEW years after God, ha, ha) we know that the mind and brain grow MOST RAPIDLY in the early years as an outgrowth of interactions with caregivers....

MOST essential are the MULTIPLES of interactions with children that exchange emotions and provide a fundamental sense of RELATEDNESS.  When we deprive these children of this relatedness, as we have seen in children in oprhanages and other settings, they DON'T GROW.  (Kind of makes me wonder about the "needs pyramid"...physical needs are most basic?.....don't know about that...maybe emotional/relational is first...hmmm, we're born with a deep need for relationship...and God created us for what?...that's right, relationship with Him!)

(my favorite part....) Today we must work on the relatioship with the child and the whole family pattern because it is within the family context, as well as the cultural and community contacts, that these relationships, and emotional interactions occur.  Intervention must mean a much broader relationship-based, family-based, cultural and community apporach to children with special needs. (or all kids!)"

So, for all  you out there who wonder if your time is "wasted" playing with the kids...think again. We are forming the foundation for real growth!  I love it!

For more information on Floortime, go to www.floortime.org For this article, click on "Our Approach", then "Earlier Models and New Insights"

Go enjoy the family!