Nature is a powerful part of our lives, whether or not we
think about it on a daily basis. There are definitely days when I don’t purposefully
spend time with nature, but just being outside while commuting on my bike is
one way for me to be connected with nature. The wind, the leaves, the acorns on
the path, the sun and clouds; I notice these things regularly, whether they are
a pleasure or a nuisance in the moment. I believe that being surrounded by
nature as a child fostered a deep appreciation of the world around me and
desire to maintain the beauty of our crucial natural environment. I want to share my appreciation of nature with
our babies by spending time with them outside, and I have really enjoyed all of
those moments thus far.
Edith, Oscar, Nate, and Adi have all spent a lot of time
experiencing their outside environments on their backs, looking up. It is not
often that we, as adults, get to spend time looking at the world from this
perspective, but we have a somewhat idealized view of this experience from
the image of lying in a field and looking up at the clouds or the stars. How
often do we actually get to do this? And what do we notice if we do? Our babies get to look up at the sky and see the clouds, light, birds
flying by, leaves falling from the trees, and the stark silhouette of the tree
branches against the brightness of the sky. When a breeze comes, they
experience the power of the wind, learning that we can accept it, even if it
becomes strong or cold at times.
Oscar has also been exploring the leaves and grass outside. He grasps and picks up leaves while lying on his back or stomach. What might he thinking while looking at that leaf?
Rui has been discovering all of the properties of leaves. He has watched them fall and move around as Theo crawls through them. He picks them up in handfuls or one at a time. He has even tasted them, though of course we do not encourage him to keep putting things he finds on the ground in his mouth. As an explorer of nature myself, I have also sampled many of the things I have found outside, and while they may not always taste good, it's always interesting to try.
Theo has been using his time outside as an opportunity to crawl to as many new places as possible. He has also been practicing crawling up and down the steps, and after his first time he quickly got the hang of doing it without getting dirt on his face. He is really learning that the world is so much bigger than the room in which we spend most of our day, and he seems excited about it!
I get excited when I see how our babies react when we take them outside. Sometimes they are curious and become energized, while other times they may have been upset about something and going out is soothing and refreshing for them. All of them seem enthralled with the wonder of the world outside.
What is your family's relationship with nature? What do you think your baby is learning about outside?
With love,
Amara (with Christina, Dilcia, and Susie)
Adi- rolling to tummy, manipulating bigger objects and curious about others
