Soaking in the Smarts
Trying to find ways to stimulate a toddler can be difficult. Especially this time of year, when the weather has been so dreary and there's not much fun in the sun to be had.
Today, I brought my son to one of my favorite places, Princeton University, and let him soak in the smarts. We ate lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant, walked along the main drag, and then visited the art museum on campus.
I joked with my friend that I hoped Hendrick would suck in some of that brain power, which just lingers in the air in a place like Princeton. The truth is I wanted to expose my son to a world where education is highly valued and cultural differences are celebrated. And I wanted his curious mind to take it all in.
Just walking around town Hendrick saw people of all different nationalities and skin colors. At the restaurant he heard several languages spoken and was befriended by exotic waitresses in vibrant dress. And at the museum he saw Andy Warhol's pop art and Monet's impressionist paintings.
There were many other stunning works, mostly portraits, housed in this museum. It may not have seemed an appropriate place to bring a baby, yet it was full of educational opportunity. (I just had to work fast, though, because Hendrick wasn't going to sit in that stroller for more than 20 minutes and the security guard wasn't going to let my 18-month-old son have run of the place.)
I made the most of our time, however. I rolled him up to the biggest, brightest paintings and pointed to, say, a man's long nose or his bushy brown beard. "Where are his eyes, Hendrick?" I then asked without pointing. "Where are his hands?"
Parents have to be creative on damp days such as these. We have to find ways to keep our kids engaged in the world around us and constantly expose them to all it has to offer.
The nice part is that the adults wind up learning new things too. One can never be too old - or young - for that.
Today, I brought my son to one of my favorite places, Princeton University, and let him soak in the smarts. We ate lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant, walked along the main drag, and then visited the art museum on campus.
I joked with my friend that I hoped Hendrick would suck in some of that brain power, which just lingers in the air in a place like Princeton. The truth is I wanted to expose my son to a world where education is highly valued and cultural differences are celebrated. And I wanted his curious mind to take it all in.
Just walking around town Hendrick saw people of all different nationalities and skin colors. At the restaurant he heard several languages spoken and was befriended by exotic waitresses in vibrant dress. And at the museum he saw Andy Warhol's pop art and Monet's impressionist paintings.
There were many other stunning works, mostly portraits, housed in this museum. It may not have seemed an appropriate place to bring a baby, yet it was full of educational opportunity. (I just had to work fast, though, because Hendrick wasn't going to sit in that stroller for more than 20 minutes and the security guard wasn't going to let my 18-month-old son have run of the place.)
I made the most of our time, however. I rolled him up to the biggest, brightest paintings and pointed to, say, a man's long nose or his bushy brown beard. "Where are his eyes, Hendrick?" I then asked without pointing. "Where are his hands?"
Parents have to be creative on damp days such as these. We have to find ways to keep our kids engaged in the world around us and constantly expose them to all it has to offer.
The nice part is that the adults wind up learning new things too. One can never be too old - or young - for that.
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