Yesterday's child

[MagicalMom]

I thought this was interesting & just wanted to share.

YESTERDAY'S CHILD


YESTERDAY's child was born in the 1800's. As a young boy, he was considered medically fragile. Every respiratory illness known to mankind in that age seemed to seize him.

Even though YESTERDAY's child spent many of his early years ill, this did not stop his insatiable curiosity and boyish escapades. TODAY's child would be described as "just being a boy."

YESTERDAY's child often found himself in risky life-and-death situations. One time, around the age of five, this boy nearly drowned in a canal; and later he almost smothered as he sank into the depths of a grain elevator. TODAY's child would be described as "having no common sense."

YESTERDAY's child was found asleep in the barn in a nest he had constructed, lying on top of the chicken and goose eggs he was trying to hatch. TODAY's child would be called "weird, eccentric." "Get off those eggs, you'll crack them!"

YESTERDAY's child drove his parents to exhaustion by his persistent questioning of the world around him, determined to know the "whys," "what fors," and "what abouts" of his world. TODAY's child is searching for someone to ask the questions to.

YESTERDAY's child, with no malice aforethought but only out of the intense curiosity of an inquisitive mind, set his father's barn on fire. For this he was publicly thrashed by his father, who tried to instill in him the serious consequences of his actions. TODAY's child would be called a "juvenile delinquent."

After only three months of formal education, YESTERDAY's child walked out of his school in a fit of rage. Running home, he could hear the thoughts of the schoolmaster echoing in his head: "stupid...stubborn...difficult." Thus, at the tender age of eight, YESTERDAY's child refused to return to school. The next day, YESTERDAY's mother gave the schoolmaster a piece of her mind and withdrew the boy from school. From that day onward, she became YESTERDAY's teacher. TODAY's child would be called "a problem child, a bad boy, oppositional." And TODAY's mother would be told she was "highly excitable, and coddling her child." She would be encouraged by all the experts to force her child to return to school because "He'll outgrow it. He's got to learn to adjust."

YESTERDAY's child went swimming with a friend in a nearby creek. When the friend didn't surface for air, YESTERDAY's child waited for what seemed like forever. As darkness fell, he-in his own unique five-year-old logic-concluded that it was time to go home. As the town was trying to piece together the disappearance and drowning of his friend, YESTERDAY's child tried to explain how he waited for what seemed like forever..... TODAY's child would be treated for "Conduct Disorder" and undoubtedly find himself one step away from the juvenile justice system.

YESTERDAY's child just couldn't comprehend consequences; that much seems true. One day he attached wires to the tails of two cats and energetically rubbed their fur. This experiment in static electricity went astray when he was brutally clawed. In another instance, one unsuspecting childhood friend suffered an upset stomach after YESTERDAY's child gave him some sort of powder just to see if the resulting gas it produced would send him flying. TODAY's child would be in long-term therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Pervasive Development Disorder, or some other behavioral disorder.

YESTERDAY's mother complained constantly about the life-threatening condition of his bedroom. Fearing for the safety of her family and any others who ventured into the family home, YESTERDAY's mother moved his experiments into the cellar. YESTERDAY's child called it his laboratory and immersed himself in science, to the exclusion of what other "normal" kids were doing at his age. TODAY's child would be called "Schizoid," and TODAY's family would be labeled "dysfunctional." TODAY's child would be spending time in a court-ordered alternative school program, meeting with a psychiatrist twice a week for therapy, and be attending a class to learn social skills.

At age twelve YESTERDAY's child insisted on going to work and began successfully earning his own wage. TODAY's child, at that age, would face a closed door to the world of mentorship in the workplace. TODAY's child would have to search beyond home and work for other avenues to have his abilities accepted and appreciated.

As you read about YESTERDAY's child, you are probably wondering how he could have survived and how he could have contributed to society in a positive way. Clearly, YESTERDAY's child had somebody who accepted his uniqueness, changed his environment to meet his needs, was not intimidated by his gifts, and tried sincerely to see the world through his eyes.

YESTERDAY's child's name is Thomas Alva Edison. What is your child's name?

 

[mom2boys]

Thanks for posting this. I have a "Yesterday". He is an intelligent, enthusiastic 10 year old. He loves to learn - but school isn't his favorite place. At seven he informed me that he never said he wanted to go to school. He complains about the assigned reading but bought 6 years of National Geographics with his own money, cleared space on his bookshelf and made himself a "reading corner". Did I mention, he has dyslexia along with a genius level IQ? At two, he broke every egg in the fridge looking for peeps. He loves to figure out how things work - sometimes he takes things apart that we'd rather have left together. If something interests him, there is no distracting him. If he's not interested, you might as well be talking to the cat. He can tell you all about plate techtonics, wilderness survival and how to start a fire without matches. At 9, he single handedly initiated the rescue of his brother from an over-turned kayak. He is the best caretaker of the family's animals. He is a non-conformist, strong-willed, out-spoken and confidient. He is my greatest challange and my greatest joy all rolled into one.

ETA: He just came home from school. He recieved an "X" for not having his math homework done. He had a substitute who told him she wasn't going to give him the "X". He told her that she had to give it to him because he didn't do his work. He also has a very strong sense of fairness. And he will take his punishments when he believes he deserves them. Now, if he thinks he's being punished unfairly

 

[MagicalMom]

Thanks for posting this. I have a "Yesterday". He is an intelligent, enthusiastic 10 year old. He loves to learn - but school isn't his favorite place. At seven he informed me that he never said he wanted to go to school. He complains about the assigned reading but bought 6 years of National Geographics with his own money, cleared space on his bookshelf and made himself a "reading corner". Did I mention, he has dyslexia along with a genius level IQ? At two, he broke every egg in the fridge looking for peeps. He loves to figure out how things work - sometimes he takes things apart that we'd rather have left together. If something interests him, there is no distracting him. If he's not interested, you might as well be talking to the cat. He can tell you all about plate techtonics, wilderness survival and how to start a fire without matches. At 9, he single handedly initiated the rescue of his brother from an over-turned kayak. He is the best caretaker of the family's animals. He is a non-conformist, strong-willed, out-spoken and confidient. He is my greatest challange and my greatest joy all rolled into one.

ETA: He just came home from school. He recieved an "X" for not having his math homework done. He had a substitute who told him she wasn't going to give him the "X". He told her that she had to give it to him because he didn't do his work. He also has a very strong sense of fairness. And he will take his punishments when he believes he deserves them. Now, if he thinks he's being punished unfairly

You're welcome. Your 10 year old sounds a lot like mine.

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

As a mother of 2 sons (and a daughter) ...I think we are too quick to label children and their families today! I love this posting!!! For anyone who deals with children on a regular basis ,this should be "required reading"!

 

[va32h]

I guess I get the gist, but it doesn't really make sense.

Even though YESTERDAY's child spent many of his early years ill, this did not stop his insatiable curiosity and boyish escapades. TODAY's child would be described as "just being a boy."

These sound exactly the same to me - "boyish escapades" vs. "just being a boy". I don't see how TODAY's child is treated any worse in that description.

YESTERDAY's child often found himself in risky life-and-death situations. One time, around the age of five, this boy nearly drowned in a canal; and later he almost smothered as he sank into the depths of a grain elevator. TODAY's child would be described as "having no common sense."

TODAY's child would not be likely to find himself in a grain elevator. But putting that aside, I think it's a leap to say that everyone would describe a child who had a couple of dangerous scrapes as "having no common sense". Five year olds seldom do have common sense.

YESTERDAY's child was found asleep in the barn in a nest he had constructed, lying on top of the chicken and goose eggs he was trying to hatch. TODAY's child would be called "weird, eccentric." "Get off those eggs, you'll crack them!"

Says who? That sounds like the sort of cute little anecdote that would be posted all over the DIS. This anecdote makes the least sense to me. It's just a huge leap of logic.

YESTERDAY's child, with no malice aforethought but only out of the intense curiosity of an inquisitive mind, set his father's barn on fire. For this he was publicly thrashed by his father, who tried to instill in him the serious consequences of his actions. TODAY's child would be called a "juvenile delinquent."


YESTERDAY's child just couldn't comprehend consequences; that much seems true. One day he attached wires to the tails of two cats and energetically rubbed their fur. This experiment in static electricity went astray when he was brutally clawed. In another instance, one unsuspecting childhood friend suffered an upset stomach after YESTERDAY's child gave him some sort of powder just to see if the resulting gas it produced would send him flying. TODAY's child would be in long-term therapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Pervasive Development Disorder, or some other behavioral disorder.

Well...folks like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Charles Manson also set fires and tortured animals. So I'm not going to fault adults for taking a serious look at such behavior.

YESTERDAY's child went swimming with a friend in a nearby creek. When the friend didn't surface for air, YESTERDAY's child waited for what seemed like forever. As darkness fell, he-in his own unique five-year-old logic-concluded that it was time to go home. As the town was trying to piece together the disappearance and drowning of his friend, YESTERDAY's child tried to explain how he waited for what seemed like forever..... TODAY's child would be treated for "Conduct Disorder" and undoubtedly find himself one step away from the juvenile justice system.

That's just a horribly sad and tragic story, and I can't imagine how it would play out any differently today, except that today we'd have more sense than to let two 5 year olds go swimming alone.

YESTERDAY's mother complained constantly about the life-threatening condition of his bedroom. Fearing for the safety of her family and any others who ventured into the family home, YESTERDAY's mother moved his experiments into the cellar. YESTERDAY's child called it his laboratory and immersed himself in science, to the exclusion of what other "normal" kids were doing at his age. TODAY's child would be called "Schizoid," and TODAY's family would be labeled "dysfunctional." TODAY's child would be spending time in a court-ordered alternative school program, meeting with a psychiatrist twice a week for therapy, and be attending a class to learn social skills.

Again, considering that some of today's children are making bombs and stockpiling firearms in their rooms, I can't fault a parent for wanting to know what is going on in a child's bedroom. But again, what a major leap of logic. Do you really think that all parents would look at a science experiment and rush their child to a psychiatrist?

Look, I've nit-picked long enough. My point is, just because Edison's mother reacted a certain way to his behavior doesn't mean that all parents of that era would have done similarly, or that parents of this era would automatically do the opposite. Some of the examples about TODAY's child just assume way too much. It's hyperbole for dramatic effect, I suppose, but hyperbole just the same.