We took my son to an aquarium this week and it was so nice to have an outing to enjoy together. After so long with everything closed, restricted, or too risky, I have so much gratitude for these times when we get to go out and feel normal again. It was also a happy day because my son, who is quite cautious and tends to withdraw from uncomfortable or risky-seeming things, did something that for him was very brave. We were at the touch tank and we kept showing him how fun and safe it was to touch the rays. The aquarium staff explained that they have no teeth and their stingers are removed. But he wouldn't do it, not even once. However, about 45 minutes later, he asked to go back to the touch tank. He put his hands in the water, touched many of the rays, and even fed them a few fish. He was really excited, and I was so proud of him for getting up the courage to go back and try. We had seen some regression in him with the isolation of the past year, but this was a hopeful moment of progress and growth!
July 30, 2021
Strange indirect Coronavirus realization this week.. my child thinks the mailman is like Santa. He thinks the mailman just brings him presents everyday. I was talking with my friend who as a child the same age as my son (3 years old) and she was saying that her daughter said she was going to ask the mailman for a present. I guess this is normal for a young child to make sense of. But, I realized today just how much we have become reliant on ordering things from Amazon that we would have normally just gone out and purchased at a store. We have almost daily deliveries now of random things we need, where as before I would have just run out to Target. And, so now, my child thinks our mailman is Santa.
August 4, 2020