美丽的英语：一个手指
One Finger 一个手指"Mom, you should put some of your things away. Baby proof this house,"
stated our oldest son Mark as he lumbered up the stairs followed by his wife,
Kim, and fifteen-month-old Hannah.
Visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday, he finished unloading the luggage
and took it to the guestroom downstairs. After driving all day from Salt Lake to
Ft. Collins, his temper showed. "That one finger rule may work with the twins,
but it'll never work with Hannah, " he insisted.
When my three granddaughters were born four months apart and the twins
moved into our house at eight months, my close friend offered me her secret to
entertaining grandchildren with few mishaps. "Teach them the 'one finger rule'."
All of her five grandchildren learned it at a young age. The success of the
method surprised me.
I picked up my granddaughter and said, "Well, Mark, you just watch." I
hugged her and walked all around the great room.
"Hannah, you may touch anything in this room you want. But, you can only
use one finger." I demonstrated the technique by touching my forefinger to the
African sculpture on the mantle. Hannah followed my example. "Good girl. Now
what else would you like to touch?"
She stretched her finger toward another object on the mantle. I allowed her
to touch everything in sight, plants, glass objects, TV, VCR, lamps, speakers,
candles and artificial flowers. If she started to grab, I gently reminded her to
use one finger. She always obeyed. But, Hannah, an only child, possessed a more
adventur ous personality. Her father predicted it would prevent her from
accepting the"one finger"rule.
During their four-day stay, we aided Hannah in remembering"one finger"rule.
She learned quickly. I only put away the things that might prove to be a danger
to a child. Otherwise, we watched her closely and nothing appeared to suffer any
damage. Besides, "things"can be replaced.
A few fingerprints on glass doors, windows and tables remained after Hannah
and her family returned home. I couldn't bring myself to clean them for days.
Each one reminded me of some wonderful experience with Hannah.
Months later, my husband and I drove to Salt Lake; I watched Mark and Kim
continue to practice the one finger rule. But I refrained from saying, "I told
you so." Yet, I smiled inwardly each time they prodded Hannah to touch with "one
finger. " Mark, a salesman, always gave a packet of gifts to his potential
clients. The night before we returned home, Mark sat on the floor stuffing gifts
into their packets. Hannah helped.
Then she picked up one gift, held it in her hand as if it were a fragile
bird, and walked toward me. At my knee, her beautiful blue eyes looked into
mine. She stretched her prize to me and said, "One finger, Nana!"
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