Mothers and the Grandmother Hypothesis
May 10, 2014
Last year my Mother’s day Musing was “ All children should be so lucky—to have a mom that leads the way—
Make Way For Ducklings, lives on!” That pretty much sums it up but here are a few more additions to what we might consider when pondering feelings embedded in what being a good mother might mean. No surprise these ideas come from the world of story, poetry and song lyrics that tell a story,
The first comes from words and music by Joan Baez, Honest Lullaby. It is easy enough to find the complete song but the final refrain says is all:
“And if you should ever wonder
How the years and you’ll survive
Honey, you’ve got a mother who sings to you
Dances on the strings for you
Opens her heart and brings to you
An honest lullaby”
The next gem comes from a father who tells his daughter, ” I am sure one of the reasons we’re here for is to make certain that those whom we love fall asleep each night assured of that love, ”
From To Be Sung Underwater, Tom McNeal
A Mother’s Day Greeting could not be complete without adding a line from the infamous poem, The Reading Mother:
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be
–
I had a Mother who read to me.
And if that is not enough, lets add one piece of information that comes from the world of Science “ Thank You, Grandma, for Human Nature.” The findings come from a biological theory: “the grandmother hypothesis” that shows that biological mothers can’t keep babies going all by themselves. They need help and that help comes from grandmothers. The idea is that grandmotherhood developed in tandem with our long childhoods, that long immaturity which allowed us to grow large brains and become smarter. So on Mother’s Day, lets toast mothers and think to add an extra toast for the grandmothers behind the scenes. Children need both.
Does anyone ever really outgrow a great picture book?
April 28, 2014
Earlier this month, at the ABC Children’s Institute in San Antonio, there was a lively discussion about the unfortunate current trend to push children toward chapter books—maybe a bit too early—and away from picture books. Lets not forget the book that makes us exclaim: “Oh, I loved that book as a child!” Picture storybooks are […]
Readers are all powerful
April 6, 2014
If kids only knew how much power they wield when it comes to bringing a book to life. In the same way that it took love to make the Velveteen Rabbit become Real, it takes readers who love a story or a poem, to make it real and bring it to life. “Real isn’t how you […]
Reading nourishes your child’s imagination.
March 16, 2014
I recently read a story of how a tourist walked off an Australian pier while checking her Facebook. I felt badly that she plummeted into chilly waters, but I was most troubled how oblivious she was to the beauty she was surrounded by. What came to mind was a quote by Albert Einstein (3.14.1879), “ […]
