On top of the gingerbread baking yesterday, there was an even more important task to be done, writing a letter to Santa. We have been slowly teaching Smallsteps to read and write and while she knows her alphabet and numbers and can do simple addition and subtraction, we haven't spent too much time actually reading and writing. In Finland, kids start school at about 7 years of age where they will learn these skills, but since she has been so interested in it since a very young age, we will support her development.
This is the first year Smallsteps has written by herself to Santa and we kept it simple and to the point - it is also in Finnish. Finnish is a phonetic language which makes it easy for spelling as words are said the way they are written. At this stage, my wife spelled the words out and other than a backward N and L or two, it went pretty well.
Smallsteps has had one thing on her mind that she wants for a year now and while we have already told her she will get it once her room is ready, she wanted to add it to the list. Exercise rings - those Roman rings that hang from the ceiling. She used them at a friend's place a couple of years ago and has wanted her own since. I think this is a pretty good gift, as I could definitely do with a little usage of them too.
While a lot of kids will likely never actually write that much in their lives, as everything is digital, I think that the mental skills associated with writing is an important foundation for other learning, as well as physical dexterity. Reading is about pattern recognition, writing adds process for pattern development. I think that while reading is a consumptive process, writing is a creative process that can add a lot of other values, such as mental hygiene.
It is pretty cool to watch her write, as the concentration she applies can be seen on her face and I can see my own granddad in there, as she reminds me of when he was woodcarving in his shed. It is funny how many of our habits are ingrained into us genetically and we have very little control over them, as we probably do not even realize that we do them.
After the rings - the second thing on the list was a scarf - because she needs one. A few weeks ago she realized that the ones she has for the winter are too small for her now and decided that she would ask for a new one for Christmas. After this, it got a little more difficult, because she didn't need anything else. We said that just because she writes the list, it doesn't mean she will get it all, so if she wants to add something, she can. To this, she said, "I already have enough toys - but I would like perhaps a little little dog. A soft one."
And the last thing on the list came form a "Daddy prompt" - a beanbag. With the rings being above a hardwood floor, I tihnk it might be a good idea to put something under her to start with and there are these big "Fatboy" beanbag chairs, or similar (as they are overpriced).These can layout flat and become a soft landing and I think that it would also serve as a nice place to sit and read in the corner, as she has been wanting her "privacy" as she thumbs through books.
Pretty good - by my standards
So, the final list:
Renkaat (Rings)
Kaulahuivi (scarf)
Pieni koira (small dog)
Säkkituoli (beanbag chair)
This is a pretty manageable list and other than the dog, are practical. What I thought was pretty interesting is that when 'signing off,* she wanted to write "love" instead of the Finnish equivalent, because it sounded better. Finnish might be a functional language, but it isn't pretty ;)
This year might be the last time Pappa is Santa and I am kind of hoping that Smallsteps realizes. My family never supported the "Christmas lies" and while we did celebrate, it was more focused on the food and company. However, I do think that there is some value in introducing a little magic in the world and having children then start to explore what that means - to question the presented narrative and start to explore alternatives.
So, do you lie to your children too?
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
