Imagine A Child's World - 2 Years Old

 This poem was written by my dear friend and colleague,  Penny Vine, Early Years Consultant, CNVC Trainer.  Penny tells me she was inspired to write this after reading a piece on imagining a child’s world by Warwick Pudney and Eliane Whitehouse, authors of Little Volcanoes, Helping Young Children and their Parents to Deal with Anger.
 Lines in italics are copied from their writing. 

Imagine yourself as a two year old...you’ve been on the planet for 24 months... what might your body feel like? 

Imagine not being able to see people’s eyes unless they remember to crouch down when they interact with you? 

Imagine being woken from your warm bed, dressed quickly, having toast put in your hand and put in your pushchair and wheeled quickly to nursery and your parent is running late and gets cross when you cry and you don’t have your hug as you usually do? 

Imagine being unable to tell anyone you’re so tired and they try to engage you and you just want to lie down, somewhere warm next to your Nana who makes you feel safe?   

What might you feel when you hear the sound of someone shouting, someone shouting loud? 

What might it be like to be running along and someone shouts “Hold my hand...don’t let go...” 

Imagine seeing a poppy for the very first time, you crouch down and look and look and you want to stay forever looking into this deep well of  red and a hand pulls and says “Come on we’ll be late now!” 

Imagine forgetting your blankie, the one you always remember and feeling poorly and blankie’s not there? 

Imagine an adult telling you it’s time to get your coat, gloves and hat on now when you were right in the middle of the most exciting construction you have ever, ever made? 

Imagine playing near the bushes looking at a wiggly worm, when someone appears and begins to shout and says “You know you mustn’t go where I can’t see you!” and you don’t really know what she means...you smile because you’re scared and you’re not sure what to do as this has never happened before and she says “Don’t you smile at me young man!” 

Imagine watching everyone’s mum and dad come to collect them...you’re sat on the carpet...tears are coming...you hear someone say “There’s no need to cry...she’ll be here soon” and you want to know what soon means and you want to cry more...but you don’t... 

Imagine the most comforting thing alive was a tone of voice saying noises that meant nothing but familiarity.

Imagine?