Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Parents, I've got a challenge for you. Hand your kiddo a piece of paper and a pile of crayons, and tell them to draw you a picture. Now tell them they have to do it without sticking their tongue out.
Ha, gotcha! The little tongue poking out of perfect little lips might as well be the international sign for kid seriously concentrating. Most of us have at least one photo of our munchkin hard at work with it hanging out, but one dad with a videocamera just one upped us. His little guy doesn't just stick that thing out. He gives it a full workout! Behold the wonder of 3-year-old Jensen coloring:
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Wow! I think my jaw is actually tired after watching that. And his dad says this goes on for a full 15 minutes or so? So that's how you get good at using crayons. And here I could have been exhibiting my work in museums if I'd just kept working out my tongue!
I jest, but it did make me ponder whether the goofy things our kids tend to do when they're focusing so heavily on a task that the other bits of their body get away from them actually serve a purpose. My daughter will chew on her hair (a habit I've spent years trying to break her of). When I was a kid, my mother would often have to remind me to stop swaying. If either of us were cut off completely, would it make it harder to concentrate?
What silly quirks of concentration have you noticed your kids doing? Do any of them get as rambunctious with the tongue as little Jensen?
Image by Jeanne Sager
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
