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!"
“妈妈,你应该把你的一些东西。证明这房子宝贝”,表示我们的大儿子马克当他上楼之后,他的妻子,Kim和十五岁的汉娜。 来访的感恩节,他卸完行李,来到楼下的客房。开车一天后从盐湖城到英尺。柯林斯,他的脾气。“一个手指的规则可能与双胞胎,但它永远不会与汉娜,”他坚称。 当我的三个孙女出生四个月,这对双胞胎进入我们的房子在八个月,我的好朋友给了我她的秘密娱乐孙子很少有事故。“教他们“一个手指的规则”。”她所有的五个孙子孙女在年轻的时候学过。让我吃惊的成功方法。 我拿起我的孙女,说:“好吧,马克,你只手表。“我拥抱了她,走在大房间。 “汉娜,你会动这个房间里的任何东西你想要的。但是,你只能使用一个手指。“我演示了这项技术通过触摸我的食指在地幔非洲雕塑。汉娜是我的例子。“好女孩。现在你想摸什么?” 她伸出手指向另一个对象上地幔。我允许她摸所能看到的任何东西,植物,玻璃对象、电视、录像机、灯、喇叭、蜡烛和鲜花。如果她开始抓,我轻轻提醒她用一根手指。她总是遵守。但汉娜,一个的孩子,拥有一个更adventur诸多个性。她父亲预测它会阻止她接受“一个手指”规则。 他们在这儿住了四天,我们帮助汉娜记住“一个手指”的规则。她学习很快。我只把事情可能被证明是一个危险的孩子。否则,我们密切注视着她,似乎没有受到任何伤害。此外,“东西”可以被替换。 几个指纹在玻璃门上,窗户和桌子保持汉娜和她的家人后回家。我不能让自己干净的天。每一个让我想起一些美好的经历与汉娜。 个月后,我和我的丈夫开车去盐湖城;我看着马克和金继续练习一个手指的规则。但是我没有说:“我早就告诉过你了。”然而,我笑了内心每一次他们要求汉娜联系“一根手指。“马克,一个推销员,总是给他一包礼物的潜在客户。前一天晚上我们回到家,马克坐在地板上把礼物包。汉娜帮助。 然后她拿起一件礼物,在她的手,就好像它是一个脆弱的小鸟,向我走来。在我的膝盖上,她的美丽的蓝眼睛看着我。她伸出奖对我说:“一个手指,娜娜!”
