Health & Fitness
Forward to the Future
If parents could peek into the future, they would see their children have grown independent and self-reliant--and the love and learning they received as toddlers leaves an impression for a lifetime.
Like Marty McFly, we all want to see into the future (if you are too young to remember, Marty was the DeLorean time-traveler in the ‘80s movie Back to the Future). If parents of young children had any free time, they might spend it imagining their children as grown ups. But as harried parents know, raising children is so all-encompassing, it can seem impossible to think beyond the challenges of the here and now.
This Saturday, I spent the day as a judge at a middle school robotics competition. The event was sponsored by the First Lego League and included over 200 students on teams from 16 Maryland schools. I worked on a panel listening to each team’s research project presentation. As team after team presented, I could not help but imagine the toddlers at my school (Evergreen Montessori) presenting their science fair projects, sales presentations or doctoral dissertations in the future. All in due time.
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Today’s toddlers will soon will be reading, brushing their own teeth, being good citizens and making a positive impact in the world. Diapers are as temporary as baby bottles, as is crying, biting and dependence. The only thing that is not temporary is the permanent impression that loving parents and a solid academic foundation make in the early years. It is going to be a great future.
