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bodies

Today during Song Circle at the preschool I sat cozied up with Lisa, a sometimes disagreeable child who has won my heart through her crotchety but whimsical manner. Evidently she was enjoying a day of unusual contentment, because she turned her head and planted a kiss smack in the middle of my left breast, which was my most convenient body part from her position, I guess. Her affectionate gesture warmed my soul. Kids are so comfortable with bodies. To Lisa, kissing my breast through my shirt was no different from kissing my cheek, or my hand, or my forehead, or my lips. When it comes to affection from the kids, I take what I can get and thank my stars that I work in a private preschool where there are no regulations about touching children. Some schools prohibit teachers even from hugging their students. I believe kids need to feel the warmth of caring human touch not only for positive growth but also to learn how to touch others in a warm and caring way.

Like I said, kids are so comfortable with bodies. The incident with Lisa this morning reminded me of something that happened earlier this year with Jack. We were shopping in Trader Joe's and Jack was getting a little rambunctious, picking up hothouse cucumbers and using them as lightsabers, standing in front of other customers, singing in a way-too-loud voice. So there in the dried fruit and nut aisle I scooped him into my arms---no mean feat as he verges on 4 feet tall and 40 some pounds. Immediately he stuck his arms down the front of my shirt and cried out, "I can feel your boobies!" I set him down and bent low, my face to his. "Jack," I hissed, ready to launch into a tirade about how his behavior was inappropriate, when he got the Serious Look on his face and said, "I'm sorry, Mommy. I mean, 'I can feel your breasts.'"

Yeah. I laughed too.

Comments

sulu-design said…
Hee, hee. I love your son's response! And congrats on ringing that D3 - sounds fun.
7:38 PM
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