Under the table

I was sitting on the dining room floor, going through some things stored in a low compartment of our very old buffet when a small item rolled out and under the dining room table.  I crawled under the table to retrieve it before  our dog,Tootsie, could grab it and run.  And once there, I realized – how long has it been since I’ve sat under a dining room table?

Memories of being four years old flooded my mind.  I absolutely remember spending time sitting under our big table at home when I was young.  It was such a quiet space – the perfect spot to sometimes listen to my mom as she talked on the telephone – to just “be” –  inconspicuous.

With the long, fancy, lace tablecloth hanging down, that my mom often had covering the table, it was a place that offered me the calmness and solitude I sometimes looked for in our noisy family of six children.  I would bring a treasure or two in with me and be alone with my imagination, my time.

Tootsie came and joined me under the table today, a look of puzzlement on her face.  Why in the world was I just sitting in such a place – one she often claims as her own?

I’m so glad I got to sit under the table today.  It  reaffirmed for me what I’ve known right along, the magic that exists for children when there is a cozy spot that meets their needs, to think of as their own special place.

Cozy spots are sometimes best when they are discovered by a child on his own.  I may have mentioned in previous posts young Natalie whose “office” was in the corner behind her dad’s favorite chair.  That’s where she would go when she wanted time to be by herself.

Allowing our children to claim their quiet spots can help to build their appreciation and recognize their need to find time for themselves – to use it as a way to refresh and refuel.  In our fast-paced world today, all of us need some place or habits that personally speak to us in a way that restores.

On Tuesday, November 13th from 6 PM – 7:30 PM at The Parenting Place, Patti Correll-Syring and I will share ways to help your children find their restful point, relax, restore harmony, find the quiet spot in their hearts.

We think it will be a peaceful evening.  Come join us and discover some simple ways to mend/prevent your child’s upsets by being more aware of what you can do and understand.

There might even be a table for you to sit under.

For more information on the Make & Take (Away the Tears)  workshop or to register, call The Parenting Place, 784-8125.  Limited child care is provided.