When my three granddaughters were born four months apart and the twins moved into our house at eight months, my close friend offered me her secret to entertaining grandchildren with few mishaps. "Teach them the 'one finger rule'." All of her five grandchildren learned it at a young age. The success of the method surprised me.
I picked up my granddaughter and said, "Well, Mark, you just watch." I hugged her and walked all around the great room.
"Hannah, you may touch anything in this room you want. But, you can only use one finger." I demonstrated the technique by touching my forefinger to the African sculpture on the mantle. Hannah followed my example. "Good girl. Now what else would you like to touch？"
She stretched her finger toward another object on the mantle. I allowed her to touch everything in sight, plants, glass objects, TV, VCR, lamps, speakers, candles and artificial flowers. If she started to grab, I gently reminded her to use one finger. She always obeyed. But, Hannah, an only child, possessed a more adventur ous personality. Her father predicted it would prevent her from accepting the"one finger"rule.
During their four-day stay, we aided Hannah in remembering"one finger"rule. She learned quickly. I only put away the things that might prove to be a danger to a child. Otherwise, we watched her closely and nothing appeared to suffer any damage. Besides, "things"can be replaced.
A few fingerprints on glass doors, windows and tables remained after Hannah and her family returned home. I couldn't bring myself to clean them for days. Each one reminded me of some wonderful experience with Hannah.
Months later, my husband and I drove to Salt Lake; I watched Mark and Kim continue to practice the one finger rule. But I refrained from saying, "I told you so." Yet, I smiled inwardly each time they prodded Hannah to touch with "one finger. " Mark, a salesman, always gave a packet of gifts to his potential clients. The night before we returned home, Mark sat on the floor stuffing gifts into their packets. Hannah helped.
Then she picked up one gift, held it in her hand as if it were a fragile bird, and walked toward me. At my knee, her beautiful blue eyes looked into mine. She stretched her prize to me and said, "One finger, Nana!"
“媽媽,你應(yīng)該把你的一些東西。證明這房子寶貝”,表示我們的大兒子馬克當(dāng)他上樓之后,他的妻子,Kim和十五歲的漢娜。 來訪的感恩節(jié),他卸完行李,來到樓下的客房。開車一天后從鹽湖城到英尺�？铝炙�,他的脾氣�！耙粋�手指的規(guī)則可能與雙胞胎,但它永遠(yuǎn)不會與漢娜,”他堅稱。 當(dāng)我的三個孫女出生四個月,這對雙胞胎進(jìn)入我們的房子在八個月,我的好朋友給了我她的秘密娛樂孫子很少有事故�！敖趟麄儭耙粋�手指的規(guī)則”�！彼械奈鍌�孫子孫女在年輕的時候?qū)W過。讓我吃驚的成功方法。 我拿起我的孫女,說:“好吧,馬克,你只手表�！拔覔肀Я怂�,走在大房間。 “漢娜,你會動這個房間里的任何東西你想要的。但是,你只能使用一個手指�！拔已菔玖诉@項技術(shù)通過觸摸我的食指在地幔非洲雕塑。漢娜是我的例子�！昂门ⅰ，F(xiàn)在你想摸什么?” 她伸出手指向另一個對象上地幔。我允許她摸所能看到的任何東西,植物,玻璃對象、電視、錄像機(jī)、燈、喇叭、蠟燭和鮮花。如果她開始抓,我輕輕提醒她用一根手指。她總是遵守。但漢娜,一個的孩子,擁有一個更adventur諸多個性。她父親預(yù)測它會阻止她接受“一個手指”規(guī)則。 他們在這兒住了四天,我們幫助漢娜記住“一個手指”的規(guī)則。她學(xué)習(xí)很快。我只把事情可能被證明是一個危險的孩子。否則,我們密切注視著她,似乎沒有受到任何傷害。此外,“東西”可以被替換。 幾個指紋在玻璃門上,窗戶和桌子保持漢娜和她的家人后回家。我不能讓自己干凈的天。每一個讓我想起一些美好的經(jīng)歷與漢娜。 個月后,我和我的丈夫開車去鹽湖城;我看著馬克和金繼續(xù)練習(xí)一個手指的規(guī)則。但是我沒有說:“我早就告訴過你了�！比欢�,我笑了內(nèi)心每一次他們要求漢娜聯(lián)系“一根手指�！榜R克,一個推銷員,總是給他一包禮物的潛在客戶。前一天晚上我們回到家,馬克坐在地板上把禮物包。漢娜幫助。 然后她拿起一件禮物,在她的手,就好像它是一個脆弱的小鳥,向我走來。在我的膝蓋上,她的美麗的藍(lán)眼睛看著我。她伸出獎對我說:“一個手指,娜娜!”
