Toddler Slowliness…

By Ann Thompson

I went toddling today with Arthur my fifteen month old grandson. No agenda, no rush to get anywhere and it was one of the most enjoyable walks I have had in our neighbourhood.

Arthur stopped at every wall to feel its texture, at every gate to see what lay beyond. Some gardens captured his attention enough that he held onto the gate, as if it was a portal into another world. He stood gazing and absorbing the view for a while before moving on to the next house. He picked a dandelion and spotted other flowers growing wild in pavement cracks.

Arthur stopped and watched people putting out their bins, gardening and just passing by. They waved and he waved back. They smiled and he laughed. They chuckled. Random encounters provoked joyful, meaningful communication.

He spotted birds and an aeroplane and stood and tracked their movements across the sky. He found a puddle, saw his reflection and reached down to trickle his fingers in the water. We couldn’t continue our walk until he had jumped in and out and created splashing sounds that made him laugh out loud.

Arthur saw his shadow on a wall and waved to it, then moved his fingers to make the shadow fingers dance! He moved closer to touch the shadow. We were nearly back home when along came a friendly man with his adorable dog. Arthur was delighted when Teddy came nearer and was fascinated by the speed of his wagging tail. We had been out for nearly an hour, but it felt like ten minutes...