1y 10m
We were sitting on the bed watching Little Bear. It’s one of the three shows she is allowed to watch, sparingly. I like Little Bear for her because the dialogue is rich and kid-friendly, and it moves at a slower pace than many of the newer kids’ shows.
An episode had just ended, and the next one was coming on. She asked, “What does it say?” I read the title of the episode without thinking about it. It took a few seconds for me to realize what had just happened.
She had asked me what it said.
I was used to telling her what things said out of habit, to familiarize her with the fact that words have meaning. But she took me by surprise when she initiated the interaction. Not only did she realize words had meaning, but she anticipated them. She saw the signature Little Bear circle with the letters inside, and she knew it said something.
In time, she started telling me what it said before I could read it. She was always right.
She wasn’t guessing. She knew exactly which pictures went with which episodes. She eventually started asking to watch specific episodes by name.
I had been doing it so long it felt automatic. Until she showed me it wasn’t. It’s one thing to do something out of habit, and another to realize the value behind it.
It was a proud moment for both of us. I was proud of myself for not stopping,
even when I felt like a parrot most days. She wasn’t just absorbing it anymore, she was reaching for it.
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