Traveling with a two-year-old is a really fun experience. Just ask any parent who's ever done it. They will all say that there's nothing more pleasant than taking a long drive with a toddler, especially when she's fussy. Or maybe not. I fall in that maybe not category. Last weekend while heading out of town for a Memorial Day camping trip, our adorable little Ellie Bean grew tired of life in the car seat.
Fortunately she was sitting in the car next to her big brother who is an avid reader. Realizing that his sister was getting grumpy, Zach decided to intervene. He knows that Ellie loves stories, so big brother quickly raided his arsenal of books and picked out one that was sure to soothe her fussy spirit.
"Ellie, do you want to learn about the Periodic Table?" Zach asked enthusiastically showing her the book.
Ellie, always one to trust her big brother, gave Zach her trademarked emphatic single-nod and said, "Mmmmm-Hmmmmm." So Zach started reading at Chapter One, which seemed like a logical place to start. As he read he introduced various scientific terms and explained to Ellie how they applied to the elements. Then he explained the difference between periods and groups as they pertain to the Periodic Table. Ellie really seemed to be tracking with him as she kept her eyes glued to the book.
"Did you like Chapter One?" Zach asked a few minutes later. Another emphatic single-nod and grunted response confirmed to Zach that she was indeed enjoying herself. "What did you learn, Ellie?" he asked next. She gave some kind of indecipherable response that prompted Zach to give a more detailed explanation of what they had just read.
Pointing to a picture of the Periodic Table he said, "This is the Periodic Table. It shows all the elements in the world." Ellie studied the picture and pointed to a blank box at the end of the Table. "That's an element that hasn't been discovered yet," Zach said acknowledging that the Periodic Table is a living document that changes from time to time. He even recounted to her the history of some of the changes that have been made over the years.
Next Ellie pointed to a box labeled, "O." "That's oxygen," Zach replied. "You need it breathe. Can you breathe?" Demonstrating breathing, Zach inhaled deeply, held it, then let it all out. As any two-year-old would do, Ellie tried to copy her brother then she chattered on and on incessantly, asking unintelligible questions as she pointed at various boxes on the Table that Zach carefully and accurately explained to her.
So often we talk to kids like they are just kids. We sell them short by not even considering that they can be entertained by a big brother and a scientific concept when the games or videos on mom's iPhone are so convenient. I'm glad Zach had that science book with him last weekend. Ellie learned a lot and will undoubtedly discover a cure for cancer someday because of it.
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