Today however, was quite an eye-opener for me while Carter and I were driving home from school.
Carter: "Daddy, I don't know why I hit my friends. There is something in my brain that makes me grumpy"
Me: "Really, what makes you think that?"
"I think there's something in my brain that makes me grumpy, but I don't know how to take it out"
"Well, how about when you feel your brain getting grumpy again, you count 1-2-3-4, repeat, 1-2-3-4..."
"Okay"
If you have read any of Eckhart Tolle's books (The Power of Now, or A New Earth) then you know that awareness has an 'Ego' and the 'Observer.' The 'Duality of Man' as Jung refers to it.
The Ego is the mind that acts and reacts. The one that curses when you get cut off in traffic or the one that uses food because it's comforting. The Observer is the mind in the present at all times. This "state of mind" concerns about nothing, it is peaceful, accepting, and content. It observes what the Ego is doing and attempts to bring control and rationale to its actions. The Observer is always in the present, it does not care if you got cut off in traffic 10 minutes ago, it is the small voice that tells the Ego to "let it go."
Of course, a full explanation of these concepts would be too long to post here, but I didn't find out about the Ego and the 'Observer' until after I turned 28, yet here is Carter, a 4 year old, already self-aware!
Obviously, I will need to explain to him the actual concepts later, but kids are smart! I will never underestimate their intelligence again!
Later that evening, at the dinner table, "1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4."
"What are you doing, Carter?" Asks, Chantelle.
"My grumpy is coming back"
"...Oh, yeah...told him that every time he feels his craziness coming on, to count to four and it will go away," I said.
"Great idea!"
Kids are amazing, and if you have had similar experiences like the event today, please share! We'd love to hear them!
The smartest thing Eljiah has done since birth 2.5 months ago is follow my directions after eating- I tell him to push real hard- then he farts. Is that brilliant or what?!?!
ReplyDeleteCarter really is wise beyond his years. He's already made the definitive determination that dinosaurs are "instinct" because of a volcanic erruption :)
ReplyDeleteThat really was TOO CUTE last night!
can i just tell you that I am BEYOND excited to read this? I am THRILLED to be very honest.
ReplyDeletei have had this almost EXACT conversation with Bailee - when she told me that the 'voices' in her head tell her to laugh at her friends when they fall and she doesn't know how to make it go away.
at first the fact that she had voices in her head scared me, and they were telling her to laugh at peoples misfortune - and scared me that she might have 'issues'.
i eventually thought more about it and talked about with her enough to realize kids are so damn literal and that the 'voice' in her head is like Ace said, the ego - and it's normal - i wanna laugh my ass off too when people do dumb things! so it turned out after thinking about it i was proud of my little girl for not only feeling like she could talk to me about it, but for realizing it and questioning it!
but, to hear that another parent has had the same conversation?!?!!? AWESOME!! MY KID IS NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!! lmao!!!!!!
and i am SOOO reading that book - is it a specific book, or a theme in all of the books???
It is a specific book. If you look up Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth on Amazon, he's right there. Very popular guy, was on Oprah's book club and everything!
ReplyDeleteI just love the honesty of a child!
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