I like to tell myself and others that I got these birds for my son. Being a "progressive mom", I want to expose my son to a variety of life experiences. Now, not too far below the surface of my ego (or is it my id?...) lies the fact that I have also done this for my inner child. I will get off the couch to finish the story... After the first day, it seemed that the novelty of having new pets had worn off for my 6 year old. I was feeling rather discouraged since chickens have the life expectancy of a large dog. Now if one of the many neighbourhood cats, possums, raccoons, bald eagles (seriously) have an encounter, all bets are off. But I couldn't wish that upon my new babies - I've bonded and they've imprinted. I also noticed that BCF jr was almost afraid to break one of the chicks. He couldn't wait to wake up or come home from school to "play" with them, but then put them down as quickly as he scooped them up. That could have something to do with the fact that I constantly coached, yelped, scolded as he awkwardly handled these squirmy fowl. Today, however, we have had a breakthrough! BCF jr. discovered that if you placed a chick on his shoulder, they are actually quite calm and happy. One could sit on his shoulder for at least 20 minutes, occasionally preening or pecking at a bug disguised as a freckle. In that moment,BCF jr. fancied himself a bit of a pirate. He frequently stops his train at the imagination station, so the thought of being a pirate really resonates with him. So, in our home, boys are pirates, chickens are parrots and mom is once again a brave chicken farmer, content with her treasures -ahrrrr.
No comments:
Post a Comment