Children are like clay that can be molded in their early years by their parents. For instance, since my dad was a painter, all three of us girls learned how to draw and sketch from him. We all learned to appreciate art from an early age. Teach them the basics, and they will remember these for as long as they live. It’s this very malleability that makes it so exciting to interact with a child. Of course, when Aya throws up tantrums quite similar to what I do in those unguarded moments, I realize all too well that every bad and good thing she sees me do will also be copied and imitated in the same way.
When we were in the Philippines, I managed to find a science book of simple experiments that can be performed at home. Aside from the very easy methods explained in simple terms in the book, there are also colorful pictures and illustrations which accompany each experiment. So far we have performed three experiments, but it was only until the third experiment that I realized how fun it would be to document each one and post them in our blogsite. The first experiment was one involving the mixing of two imiscible liquids, water and oil. Add salt, then watch how the weight of the salt initially brings down the oil, then how it produces a bubbling effect as it goes back to the surface. I made Aya stir the mixture, then to her surprise, she found out that the salt disappeared but the oil didn’t. The second experiment was done with Baggy, this time using a balloon tied to a straw, through which a string was inserted and its one end is tied to a chair. Release the balloon, and whoosh! A rocket balloon. Aya found that experiment very exciting and they did it over and over again, much to her delight.
The third experiment was about convection: hot liquids go up, cold liquids go down. We let Aya do as much as her little fingers could, although most of the time we end up doing mostly everything. But the amazing thing is this – we still share the enthusiasm and the appreciation for the simple concepts in science. I always feel that warm rush of delight whenever I try to explain to her the “whys” of things. In my opinion, it’s never too early to expose one’s child to science. Other parents would expose their children to music, arts, or sports. Well, we want to expose her to something that we are passionate about. So there you go.
Who knows, maybe in the future I can even bring her to the lab and show her how to operate the laser, hahah. 🙂 My mini lab assistant.
