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DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN |
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UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
Mom and Dad sat at the table with Baby in the highchair. Both parents were fluent in Spanish and English. Baby had not yet learned to talk. He babbled and cooed and grunted the way all young children do, but he had not yet mastered any recognized syntax of sounds that we call language. Mostly he gummed his binky, watched the activity around him, and locked his eyes on mine from time to time. Mom took a cracker out of its wrapper and offered it to Baby. As his left hand reached for the cracker, the binky dropped to the full extension of the string around Baby's neck. The cracker then went straight into Baby's mouth without missing. There was no problem with this child's coordination. Soon Dad placed a small piece of cooled chicken into Baby's open mouth. Clearly pleased, Baby gummed the meat enthusiastically. When it had been properly pulverized and swallowed, Baby banged on the highchair tray with his right hand. Dad took the hint and delivered another piece of chicken. When it was on its way to be digested, Baby again banged on the tray. This time, Dad did not take the hint so quickly. So Baby let loose a string of noises that were clearly higher pitched than previously emitted sounds, and much more demonstrative in nature. Finally Dad got the message and delivered. After a few more bites of food, Mom handed Baby another cracker which was quickly consumed. When it became clear that no more food was to follow, dexterous Baby picked up the binky and inserted it into his empty mouth. Again he looked my way and locked eyes for several seconds. Then he was whisked away from the highchair, folded into a blanket, and taken out the door. As I sat in the restaurant finishing my meal, I marveled at the lesson in communication that I had just witnessed.
© 2006 David Bentley David Bentley, M.Ed. & Personal Coach, coaches clients through the game of life, helping them find balance, clarity of direction, and purpose in an ever-changing world. You may contact him at 360.378.8436 by e-mail at david@coachbentley.com or visit his Web site: www.coachbentley.com |
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