The other day, Jasmine and I were coming back from the doctors when I spotted a sign saying ‘Women’s Day’. I followed the signs to the local community centre and went in. Inside there were different stalls with information about activities in the local area for women and their babies.
I had a chat with a lady about play centres, as I am still undecided about going or not even if Jasmine can’t join in with sand and paint and water. The lady referred me to the Early Learning Foundation program set up by the Government, which is apparently imperative to growing babies. And it made me ask: Is there nowhere in society where the Labour Party hasn’t felt the need to interfere? And then, against my better judgement, I got really stressed about Jasmine’s development and felt like a bad mother who is not doing enough to ‘hot-house’ her baby. And I resolved there and then to be like Rick Moranis in the film Parenthood who teaches his toddler Nietzsche, advanced mathematics, and kung-fu.
Luckily, after a couple of days common sense prevailed. I am doing exactly what my mum did with me as a child: singing, playing, chatting and reading, as well as going out and about and mixing with others. And I have turned out ok. I have even managed to get a PhD without the Labour Party’s help (which is probably why the cheeky buggars address me incorrectly as ‘Mrs’ in their correspondence).
Anyway, at the centre they had a man singing songs and playing his guitar, so we joined in. Jasmine bounced up and down as she recognised the songs: The wheels on the bus go round and round (her Grandma Stalker sings this to her down the phone), If you are happy and you know it clap your hands (a firm favourite), Row, row, row your boat and some others. And then he sang Heads, shoulder, knees and toes, which I had totally forgotten about – what a great song – and Jasmine loved it. We have been singing it to her ever since. She is great fun and taps her head when we sing. I guess with a bit more practice she will work down to the rest of her body.
The guitar man was thrilled to get some feedback, as the other kids there didn’t recognise any of the songs, but they did enjoy kissing Jasmine, which she objected to, so I had to wrestle them off in between clapping and the like. My goodness, toddlers can move fast. I felt like the West Brom goalie. Later, as we got ready to leave, the guitar man gave her a giraffe balloon as he had really enjoyed having a No. 1 fan and was sorry to see us go.
So, we are going to go to try out a weekly sing-a-long session and investigate what is on offer at all the centres, but I will not worry too much if it doesn’t work out, regardless of Labour’s learning-what-not (Neil: Ruth, please shut up about the Labour Party). Jasmine’s safety is paramount and getting out of the house and somewhere for 10am is fine and necessary for hospital appointments, but it is a massive commitment for a bit of singing.
Yesterday was a bit of a tiring day. Jasmine was so pukey she needed five changes of clothing and I needed three and that was just the afternoon. So, today when we went round a friend’s house and I fed Jasmine and she wasn’t sick at all (well, just a posit), it was very nice. She even gnawed on a shortbread biscuit before rudely hurling it across the room (I was impressed by the distance though). And later she got friendly with my friend’s baby and held her foot, which has to be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Jasmine has started to turn herself on her side on a morning when she wakes up vomiting. She is so clever to have figured that out. It is sad that my poor girl has had to learn how to position herself when vomiting, but I am so impressed by her ability to adapt.
The other morning she woke us up earlier than usual by running her cup up and down the cot bars, like prisoners do in the movies. I picked her out of the cot and gave her some milk, which she guzzled down. She must have been hungry and wanted us to know. This morning she flipped herself over and dangled her feet through the bars, as if she was about to climb down and onto our bed. She is fantastic and I never cease to be amazed by my clever, gorgeous girl.
So pleased to hear you are both enjoying a sing song. Singing always picks me up, I went to a gang show tonight and that was full of youngsters putting their whole heart into it.