When Pearl was little, I used to remind her to look with her eyes, not her fingers, when we were in shops or in other people’s houses. She wasn’t a particularly fiddly little girl, just averagely curious, I think, and most kids instinctively seem to go to pick things up.
Fainjin doesn’t seem to need reminding. My Gran remarked on this at the weekend when we visited (Happy 97th Birthday Gran!). Fainjin was wandering around her little flat, just checking it out, and when I said “Where are you going, Fainjin?”, Gran said to me “He’s always been so good about looking with his eyes, he’ll be fine”. Sure enough, he wasn’t touching anything.
It happened again today. The gasfitters were here to install the much-anticipated central heating (and yes, I am toasty-warm as I write this, and it’s delightful!), and they were drilling and cutting holes in the floor and a “window” in a wall. There were lots of power tools and non-power tools, sharp things and poke-y things, and all sorts of danger that you can carry in a tool box. One look at the toddler, and the workman said “I think I’ll leave this out on the doorstep”.
But he didn’t touch anything. While the holes were being cut, he wanted to watch, of course, but he didn’t go near. Instead, he came to me and asked to be lifted up to see. At various times during the day, he would appear at my side, take my hand, and lead me to another room so I could help him see holes being cut.
Babess, on the other hand, needed constant close supervision. She looks with her mouth…
