Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Crayons of Childhood, Part 1


He was just a toddler when he dropped his crayon in the toaster. Barely two, there was no way he could foresee the smelly, smoky mish-mash waiting to happen. The little guy was heartbroken when the melted goop didn't look like the morning toast I made, the toast he could fairly taste in anticipation.

The catastrophe, however, did nothing to diminish his fascination, nor mine, with crayons. We both loved the promise of something beautiful waiting to happen (just not in the toaster!) In a small way, I looked at a new box of crayons - fresh, unused, the promise of becoming a masterpiece if tended carefully - as just like a child. Maybe that's why parenting matters. Maybe that's why childhood and crayons go together - the promise of becoming a masterpiece.

Welcome to my blog Colored with a Positive Crayon. Celebrate the early years, the most important years, as you read about parenting that colors a child with encouragement and gentle strokes of empathy. Join me and let's focus on the joy of raising an emotionally healthy child in a safe place.

A Colorful Thought: "A child needs so much to be accepted exactly as he is."