InthisageofInternetchatvideogamesandrealitytelevisionthereisnoshortageofmindlessactivitiestokeepachildoccupied.Yetdespitethecompetitionmy8-year-olddaughterRebeccawantstospendherleisuretimewritingshort
InthisageofInternetchatvideogamesandrealitytelevisionthereisnoshortageofmindlessactivitiestokeepachildoccupied.Yetdespitethecompetitionmy8-year-olddaughterRebeccawantstospendherleisuretimewritingshortstories.Shewantstoenteroneofherstoriesintoawritingcontestacompetitionshewonlastyear.
AsawriterIknowaboutwinningcontestandaboutlosingthem.Iknowwhatitisliketoworkhardonastoryonlytoreceivearejectionslipfromthepublisher.Ialsoknowthepressuresoftryingtoliveuptoareputationcreatedbypreviousvictories.Whatifshedoesn’twinthecontestagain?That’sthestrangethingaboutbeingaparent.Somanyofourownpastscarsanddashedhopescansurface.
Arevelation（启示）camelastweekwhenIaskedher“Don’tyouwanttowinagain?”“No”shereplied“Ijustwanttotellthestoryofanangelgoingtofirstgrade.”
Ihadjustspentweekscorrectingherstoriesasshespontaneously（自发地）toldthem.TellingmyselfthatIwasmerelyanexperiencedwriterguidingtheyoungwriteracrossthehallIofferedsuggestionsforcharactersconflictsandendingsforhertales.Thestoryaboutafearfulangelstartingfirsttradewasquickly“guided”bymeintothetaleofalittlegirlwithawildimaginationtakingherfistmusiclesson.Ihadturnedhercontestintomycontestwithoutevenrealizingit.
Stayingbackandgivingkidsspacetogrowisnotaseasyasitlooks.BecauseIknowverylittleaboutfarmanimalswhousetoolsorangelswhogotofirstgradeIhadtoacceptthefactthatIwasco-opting（借用）mydaughter’sexperience.
WhilesteppingbackwasdifficultformeitwascertainlyagoodfirststepthatIwillquicklyfollowwithmorestepsputtingmyselffarenoughawaytogiveherroombutcloseenoughtohelpifasked.AllthewhileIwillberemindingmyselfthatchildrenneedroomtoexperimentgrowandfindtheirownvoices.
【小题1】Whatdowelearnfromthefirstparagraph?
A．Manychildrenfindlotsoffuninmindlessactivities.B．Rebeccaismuchtoooccupiedtoenjoyherleisuretime.C．Rebeccacollectsonlinematerialsforherwriting.D．Rebeccaisdifferentfromanyotherchildofherage.【小题2】
