Birds of a Feather

Growing up I always heard the saying “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” from my parents.  I didn’t know if this was another old Jamaican saying that made no sense, but they learned from their parents, so they just said it to me…  It turns out that this is a solid piece of wisdom that they instilled in me as to always be careful of the company you keep.  It is true the birds will only migrate with other birds of the same species.  I now see that more than ever that I was very fortunate to surround myself with a great group of kids growing up who have turned into my best friends in life.  I am truly blessed to have birds of the same feather in my life.  My parents provided me a golden nugget of information that has shaped the course of my life.

This morning Kaia only made it halfway through the church service before she got restless and we retreated to the family room.  I have always been blamed for being over protective as a parent.  Once we got into a room filled with other toddlers Kaia’s age, those instincts were put to the test.  At first Kaia stuck close to me.  I am noticing it is her nature to be apprehensive of new of new situations and she tends to get clingy until her normal comfort level is reached.  After the first few minutes she began to meander closer and closer to the other children playing in the room.

 As a parent I was happy to see her embrace the social setting, but I am always apprehensive to the children she may gravitate towards.  I know its way to early to begin to pass judgment and place infants into social and economic categories’… I know… I get it… But… And this is a huge but…  can already tell certain character traits of Kaia by spending extended periods of one on one time with her.  She is extremely helpful and inquisitive.  She does not like to be alone but is adventurous at the same time.  She loves to laugh and is playful.  Her love language will be a mix between physical touch and quality time.  Kaia has a ton of personality for a 13 month old child and it is growing every day.  

Turning her loose to be influenced or mingled with other children is a scary thing for me as a parent.  I will probably need to seek professional help at some point as I am freaked out by toddlers at a church… I can’t imagine when she wants to go to the movies at age 13…

My hope is that as Kaia grows, she surrounds herself with children who have the same value system that I will try to instill in her.   It is never an exact science, but it is always better to be in a group of people headed in the right direction than ones who bring you down.  It is my prayer that Kaia heads the words of her father and grandmother so that she will make the right decisions later in life.  For now, I just need to relax and let kids be kids…