Chips in Her Bib

I was having a conversation with another adult while driving in the car recently.  In the back seat were my boys, ages 3.5 and 1.5. 

We were discussing a race a family member had recently run.  At one point in the conversation, we were commenting on how improvements in technology had allowed us to see the family member running and crossing the finish line even though we were unable to attend the race to cheer her on in person.  I mentioned that it all had to do with "the chips in the bib."

It was at this moment that I realized there had been a little giggle in the back seat.  At hearing this statement, my older boy just couldn't hold it in any longer.  "Chips in her bib?! That's silly!" The image that immediately came to my mind when I heard his comment? An almost 30 year old lady running on a bridge trying not to get squashed by trucks (a misconception about the race we'd cleared up earlier in the day) wearing a baby bib covered in chips.  No wonder the poor kid was trying to stifle his giggles in the back seat.  He probably thought mom had finally gone over the edge!

This experience reminded me how our little guys and gals see the world.  Their experience with different concepts and the language we use talk about them is not the same as ours. It also affirmed for me the importance of continuing to sign with our kiddos long after they start relying on their spoken language for communication.  Having the ability and the know-how to stop and think about what their understanding is and how to relate that knowledge to something new is a priceless tool.  Using the skills from the Signing Smart Workshop for Long-Term Learning don't infiltrate my daily life as much as the tools for early communication do with my younger son.  However, I am so thankful to have what it takes to make the world a much less scary, crazy, unknown place when I need to!