Open Ayurveda

I guess our son is at that age, whatever that means.

Have you ever noticed that adults—especially seasoned parents-–have a tendency to lean toward one another and knowingly comment on a given child’s behavior with, “Oh, he’s at that age.” The remarkable thing is that this observation can be made at any age at all, no matter what. In fact, as the parent of a toddler, I can definitively say that my child is, at present, at that age right now. Come to think of it, that age was preceded by another that age, which was marked by different humorous, cute and/or irritating habits and activities. There was another before that as well and so on. No doubt, that age will be following this one. I’m still pretty new to parenting, but I’m catching on.

For instance, as my toddler begins to speak more and with increasing accuracy, such that even strangers might be able to comprehend him at times, I see that that age can be very revealing as to how my child views reality. As a constant mimic of every word and deed to which he is exposed, he is laying down patterns for what he perceives as normal behavior and modes of expression in the world.

Sometimes, that is embarrassing. Just this week, he mastered the pronunciation of my favorite curse word (which starts with ‘s’) and then he used it with appropriate timing in public. That was funny.

His newfound control of his body brings about a wonderful opportunity to glimpse his ideas, since almost everything he thinks is immediately expressed as he tries out gestures actions and new words. Though I celebrate his widening ability to explore the world and the enhanced interface with it that every developmental leap affords, I also catch greater insight into my responsibility as a mother. Are my actions—which he constantly copies—positive stimuli for growth?

The fun part is that his mimicry inspires me with a desire to grow. When we get down on the living room floor for what he calls ‘om-ies’, it is fun to see him giggling, awkwardly trying yoga postures with a big smile spread across his face. And today, as we were driving home from the grocery store, I caught him in the mirror sitting in his car seat, repeatedly chanting om and contorting his hands into play-mudras. He was just having fun, doing what he deems normal.

Watching him play at these yoga activities made me want to go home and practice. I know that the more he witnesses ‘om-ies’, the more he will learn that opening the channels to reinforce using the body in an integrated way is an indispensable daily activity. He will regard it as fun and will experience how yoga helps bring that sense of integration into other aspects of life. Though I am his teacher now, watching his experimentation fires up my desire to be a better student.

I understand that that age is just a series of learning opportunities. In fact, I believe I’m at that age myself and always will be.

Tags: Motherhood