Taking on An Attitude, Early

This is a picture that Sienna drew recently and was signed by herself in cursive. I posted this on the virtual "mother board" at babycenter.com where I chat with the mothers of kids born in the same month. One mother responded, "Leave it to Sienna! Cursive! Here I was going to ask if your kids who write their names are doing all caps or properly with upper and lower case, and Sienna does cursive! She is really talented..." Another mother said, "And oh Sienna! She will be graduating from college by the time she is 10 and discovering a cure for cancer by 18; we will say we 'knew' her when...!"

Sienna might be one or two steps ahead of kids at her age when it comes to reading, writing and drawing. But I am not one of those push-over moms who want their kids to be advanced in this and that. I can be free of guilt as I cannot take any of the credits for what she can do. It's her teachers at different schools, who see her potential and give her the lift.

Some 7 months ago, I rushed to her teacher, asking her to be easy on Sienna about writing cursive. The teacher told me, "well, she is already writing in cursive..." And in front of me laid a whole finished work-book filled with her writings in cursive... I understand at this age, you cannot make a kid do anything that s/he doesn't want to do anyways.

I have no intention to make Sienna an over-achiever, trying to be ahead of everybody going everywhere. It's important though that she goes into things that she has confidence and feels comfortable in. Willing to make efforts but not painstkaing efforts... The seemingly effortless efforts. Treat learning as part of the play... That would be my influence if anything. I take comfort knowing she got a head start taking on this attitude. Now when she sees me write in non-cursive letters, she goes, "Mommy, write properperly." See, that's what I am talking about...