InthisageofInternetchat,videogamesandrealitytelevision,thereisnoshortageofmindlessactivitiestokeepachildoccupied.Yet,despitethecompetition,my8-year-olddaughterRebeccawantstospendherleisuretimewritingshortstories.Shewantstoenteroneofherstoriesintoawritingcontest,acompetitionshewonlastyear.
AsawriterIknowaboutwinningcontest,andaboutlosingthem.Iknowwhatitisliketoworkhardonastoryonlytoreceivearejectionslipfromthepublisher.Ialsoknowthepressuresoftryingtoliveuptoareputationcreatedbypreviousvictories.Whatifshedoesn'twinthecontestagain?That'sthestrangethingaboutbeingaparent.Somanyofourownpastscarsanddashedhopescansurface.
Arevelation(启示)camelastweekwhenIaskedher,"Don'tyouwanttowinagain?""No,"shereplied,"Ijustwanttotellthestoryofanangelgoingtofirstgrade."
Ihadjustspentweekscorrectingherstoresasshespontaneously(自由地)toldthem.TellingmyselfthatIwasmerelyanexperiencedwriterguidingtheyoungwriteracrossthehall,Iofferedsuggestionsforcharacters,conflictsandendingsforhertales.Thestoryaboutafearfulangelstartingfirstgradewasquickly"guided"bymeintothetaleofalittlegirlwithawildimaginationtakingherfirstmusiclesson.Ihadturnedhercontestintomycontestwithoutevenrealizingit.
Stayingbackandgivingkidsspacetogrowisnotaseasyasitlooks.BecauseIknowverylittleaboutfarmanimalswhousetoolsorangelswhogotofirstgrade,IhadtoacceptthefactthatIwascoopting(借用)mydaughter'sexperience.
Whilesteppingbackwasdifficultforme,itwascertainlyagoodfirststepthatIwillquicklyfollowwithmoresteps,puttingmyselffarenoughawaytogiveherroombutcloseenoughtohelpifasked.AllthewhileIwillberemindingmyselfthatchildrenneedroomtoexperiment,growandfindtheirownvoices.
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