My daughter (age 6), and I are sitting side by side with our “computers”. Mine is an actual laptop, while hers is of the plastic princess variety.
This is “screen time” I love. I’m all for it.
Know why?
Because she’s not pretending to watch a show, or shop, or scan a YouTube video, or re-enact some Disney situation.
She’s pretending she’s writing a book.
My heart swells.
She’s pulled a large chair up to a small table and we are working away on our “books”.
And THEN….
She tells me she’s, “giving (her) book to kids who don’t have any books.”
WHAT???
This just flat-out chokes me up.
She’s writing a book for kids who have no books. One of the saddest of all fates—we’re both sure of it.
Here we are, my daughter and I, writing books. Together.
Although she and I have actually hand-written several books together (her most recent popular tome: Dogs Can’t Kiss), somehow, this is like, next level. We’re working on our laptops together, and I’m actually also writing—this.
Although her wonderfully woodsy Waldorf school disdains any screen time at her age, I’m inclined to differ, just the weensiest, teensiest bit. After all, a computer screen is only a tool, and while too much passive watching can be a disaster (and certainly may very well morph into a black hole of propaganda and dangerous waste of life), it can also serve the music of the muses and emit the most magical of things—a book.
**In my defense, her plastic screen isn’t even functional. Additionally, I feel confident that with my own screen, I’m mostly, at least, training her not to online impulse-buy or binge-watch Millionaire Matchmaker, but to write books.**
Soon enough, my daughter slams her “laptop” shut and pivots to styling my hair, but—it’s too late. I’m already full-up with this feeling.
She loves books, she loves writing, and writing books, for her, is normal. And more importantly, she cares. And she wants to help.
I suddenly feel, on some level, that I’ve actually succeeded in passing on something meaningful to this small incredible person I’ve been gifted—something not only very close to my heart, but important.
(And it’s about more than writing books, it would appear).
And thus, in some also important way, I feel at this moment that I’ve somehow miraculously succeeded as a mom.
And also (no small feat), because she’s occupied writing her own book (and sending emails!), I seem to have written a full post while with my daughter! For the second time. The fates are turning…
I actually thought it was Valentine’s Day while yesterday while I was writing this...
OMG, I LOVE this!! Yay Vivi