Grand Avenue by Mike Thompson for November 09, 2024

A quiet child = a suspicious parent.

Too late…they’ve already climbed out the windows!!

If they’re quiet it’s time to worry.

It’s ok if they’re quiet if you can still see them.

Silence is scary

In Puerto Rico my grandmother had this saying, “Los niños hablan cuando las gallinas mean.” Direct translation is children talk when chickens urinate. It falls in line with children be seen and not heard.

I do not agree with this adage. I learn so much from hearing them: how they see the world, stories they make up, how well their language is progressing, what they are curious about, and things they heard in school that I might have to correct. My mom raised curious, smart kids because she loved to hear us and answer our questions. All that stopped when our father came home. He hated the sound of laughter and children in general. He was an orphaned child left with only his dad, who quickly married a woman his family found, who had two more children she called hers, neglecting my dad. Listen to your kids! Let them talk and share and create and laugh and love!

The problem here is that they’re not seen.

A silent toddler bodes ill.

My mom said that too. We were usually up to no good when we were being quiet.

No noise is not good noise, caught my daughter and the boy next door playing dr.