When you haven’t posted for a while, and you don’t have lots of time, the easiest thing to do is to have your kids write for you. Jaymie, my seven-year-old daughter, spent much of Sunday morning (she was sick and didn’t go to church) compiling a list titled “Things needed.” When I asked her what they were needed for, she said, “You know, this is just things you need.”
I’m always keen to listen to my kids when they say things like this, because more often than not I learn something from them. And this year I’m especially interested in understanding how Jaymie sees the world as she prepares for baptism.
Here’s the list (corrected for spelling):
food, water, silverware, table, towel, clothing, mother, father, sister, brother, home, schoolwork, books, cloth, bookshelf, pens and pencils, earth, soil, words, toys, cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmas, grandpas, ancestors, trees, wood, light, electricity, bathing suit, oil, oven, stove, pots, pans, plates, knives, spoons, forks, salt, fruit, toilet, tissue paper, ground, car, carwash, worms, silk, thread, sheets, blankets, wool, quilts, poems, paper, heat, air, church, animals, friends, roof, worms, news, rain, leaves, eggs, chicken, vegetables, bark, soup, tomatoes, squash, grapes, pears, oranges, children, city, grass, meadow, bank, change, money, shoes, valleys, elf ears, teeth, vinegar, sugar, sky, clouds, temple, dresses, dolls, mouth, comfort, Book of Mormon, Bible, pillows, pillowcases, feathers, oceans, seas, whales, dolphins, warmth
I was glad to see that I made it on the list, along with the rest of the family. I’m happy also that Jaymie apparently recognizes the value of the scriptures and the temple. And words and poems are just as essential as food and water. On the other hand, bark? elf ears? Still, overall it’s not a bad list. Do I really need much more than this? What’s on your list of “things needed?”
I love that worms made it on the list twice.
I would have to add books, my soft bed, bubble baths, and solitude, quiet.
Smart girl, Bryce.
I think when I was 7 the only necessities were Ninja Turtles and cable T.V.
I think your daughters list is better.
You definitely need a bathing suit — and dolphins!
That’s a great list. How are your daughter’s attachments to things like bark or change different than our attachments to more “serious” physical objects? At least she’s honest about it.
Good point, Steve. At least her bark is easier to replace when lost than my ipod. And the vulcan ears that most adults like to keep around are probably no more important in the scheme of things than little Jaymie’s elf-ears, when you really think about it.
The glaring difference I noted between Jaymie’s list and mine is “Captain America comics.”
I love the list because of how cozy it is. Lots of pillows, warmth, comfort, silk, clothes, blankets, wool, feathers, etc. If you always had all of those things, it might make you forget about wanting very many other things.
School work????
Who need schoolwork??
Very cute list. It is interesting from a kids perspective that things like electricity are needed. What did they do 100 years ago when electricity wasn’t all that common?
Thanks for sharing.
It’s a great list.
I would add books, my husband, my children, dates, music, sweaters, baths, running, yoga and weight lifting (my favourite fitness activities) and airplanes (for traveling to all my favourite places), blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Oh and peaches.
That’s really, really adorable, Bryce. Great post!
This is an interesting list because of what it reveals. First, notice how tangible most of the items are. Although Jaymie’s list includes light and comfort (which are interesting choices), a grown-up’s list might include more intangibles like peace, love, joy, strength, courage, wisdom, patience, etc.
Jaymie seems attached to the earth—she lists trees, wood, worms (2x!) animals, rain, leaves, bark. Perhaps she has a penchant for water too? She lists oceans, seas, whales, dolphins and a bathing suit, but doesn’t include things like butterflies, birds, flowers and rainbows, which are popular with many little girls’.
I also think it is cute that food plays such a big role in her list. Not only is it first but she includes lots of specific foods. It perhaps says something about meals at your house or her preferences that meat and fish are not mentioned. She also fails to mention any junk food–interesting for a child, I think. She must be well taught
Still, she thinks that food is essential. Her list includes generic “silverware” as well as “forks,” “spoons” and “knives” separately. The only body part she includes is “mouth” (supposedly to eat with?), but overlooks eyes, ears, feet, hands, and fingers.
As her father, what’s your own analysis of this list?
Bryce, I was just thinking that it’s been a while since you last posted or commented anywhere. Did you have better things to be doing for a while? If you can link to an image of Jaymie’s list, another jpg couldn’t hurt.
Best post I have read in a long long time. I would include chewing gum on my list.
I’m just glad to see that a towel made the list.
Thanks for all of the comments. Some responses –
First, generally, Jaymie seems to have really focused on needs over wants in this list. For example, she doesn’t like squash or tomatoes, but they both make an appearance. I think she thinks (correctly) that they are somehow good for her, even if she doesn’t like them.
TOTAL Nathan — I would love to see a similar list from your kids. I wonder how much of our children’s perception of the world is shaped by our own. I don’t see any obvious signs of my influence in Jaymie’s list. Of course, I don’t know that this project would work as an assignment. This was Jaymie’s idea.
Travis — Jaymie is homeschooled. I don’t know if this has anything to do with the appearance of schoolwork on the list, but I imagine she has a different relationship with her schoolwork than non-homeschooled kids. As for electricity, I think she is aware of its importance in our lives because we lose electric service on an occasional but fairly frequent basis, during thunderstorms, hurricanes, ice storms, and other severe weather. She has seen how much we depend on it, and how disruptive its absence is in our lives.
Melissa — I haven’t analyzed the list too much. Actually, I’ve avoided reading too much into it. I enjoyed the idea of it more than anything else, although the actual content is revealing, as you point out. As I said, the list really is focused on needs over wants — Jaymie likes junk food as much as the next kid, but she knows it’s not good for her.
I can definitely point out reasons for some of the items on the list. She’s a competitive swimmer, so the bathing suit and towel are important. And I let the kids wash the car with me for the first time this spring on Saturday, so that made an impression on her. I’m not sure why worms are so important, though.
Jonathan –
I’m not keeping any secrets. I’ll post an announcement when the baby is born.
Dan –
Funny how I missed that — I just started re-reading those books this weekend.
Bryce, a worm story: My Lulu (6) loves worms, spiders, ants, all creeping things. Last year, she found a worm on the playground at school and put it in her pocket to carry around all day. It expired sometime while we were driving home, and she spent the 30-minute drive in full drama queen mode, sobbing “he was my friend, and now he’s gone” over and over. I believe that even the most hard-hearted of mothers would be moved to tears by this; by the time we got home, I was pretty sniffly myself. We had a solemn little ceremony, and were just patting the last of the dirt over the little grave when our neighbor came out. “Oh no!” she said, “did your cat pass away?” “Um, no,” I sniveled, “it was, uh, just an earthworm.” Probably our neighbors are now harboring some funny notions about what Mormons believe about the afterlife
Jaymie informs me that she did not write “elf ears” as I reported above, but rather, “shoe sh
elf ears” (shoe shelf, ears). We take our shoes off in the entryway and put them on a shoe shelf. Very essential.
Anyway, it makes more sense than “elf ears,” which I had taken to be a reference to a story that Jaymie had heard about why elves have pointy ears (they don’t eat their vegetables).
Bryce –
To clarify, I wasn’t comparing Jaymie’s list with a hypothetical list by my kids. The “Captain America comics” is one of MY needs.
TOTAL Nathan-
I got that — It made me wonder if that need has been transmitted to your kids.
A slightly related funny (at least to me) story — Julia (age 4) has been taking swimming lessons, and up until this week was afraid to jump off of the starting blocks. This past weekend she decided that she would do it. On Sunday, in her Primary class, when it was her turn to share something with the class, she proudly announced that this week she was going to jump off of the blogs.
Bryce,
Unfortunately, encouraging them to make a list like this will dampen some of the sincerity and insight of a spontaneous one like Jaymie’s.
But I’ll post something almost in the same vein tonight. Be watching.
well I have to admit I like “elf ears” because I love the magical land of elves and fairies and tree spirits and magical creatures. But then my Irish blood (in spite of it’s being so little) is more prominent than any other part of me
Bryce, what a charming post. I love how the list is such a mix of abstract and tactile. I’m curious now about what my daughters’ lists might look like. I’m guessing it would also include books and a swimsuit, plus many tactile items. As for me, I think I’ve made a similar list on three occasions before packing a bag to take to the hospital when my kids were born (chapstick, CDs and UNO cards topped the list every time).
sleep, peace, self-discipline, time, talent, patience, confidence, certainty, Mercedes, back rub