I know I will look back on this post and laugh.
But one thing I really like about Noah’s personality is that he has a pretty long attention span. Sometimes this causes problems, like when he wants to continue to explore something where he really can’t, or the fact that it is very, very hard to redirect him because he doesn’t forget his first idea, no matter how dangerous. Still, I think if this is not a phase, his attention span will serve him well in the future.
So this morning we were at the zoo. And we were having an amazing time with the seals, because they were very active (as were a lot of the animals; it wasn’t hot) and we had a good spot in the tank-watching area, where seals would swim right up against the glass and Noah would get excited, and so on and so forth. For about 40 minutes. Because when my baby is watching seals, he is watching seals and you should let him do that.
Meanwhile, around us, and in every corner of the zoo, chaos ranged. Now I realize that elementary school kids on field trips are their own unique species and all that. But what I did not like was how the teachers and parents with them were dragging/rushing/pushing them, exhorting them to move quickly – quickly boys! – past each exhibit.
Some kids, of course, were running everywhere, wild. That bothers me only a little – our zoo, generally, is designed for running about, outdoors especially. But the way truly curious kids were getting shut down, that bothered me. Kids would stop to look only to be herded along in the name of – whatever. Getting to lunch? Getting through the entire zoo in 4 hours?
It bothered me. I do realize things will be different then, etc. etc. But it still bothered me, all that curiosity getting pushed around via a schedule.
