Why standing tall is plenty tall enough -- at any height.

by Babs Hadjusiewicz June 17, 2009

blue hand rotatedweights pic Yes, it’s Wacky Wednesday! And I had planned to head in somewhat of a different direction for today’s post. But that was before this morning’s workout. A new need presented itself. Prompting new thoughts. I guess that’s why I call this blogging day "Wacky Wednesday." I just never know what’s going to happen in life experiences. In truth,4 music notes pic nearly every life experience brings to mind a line of a poem or song I’ve penned, many on-the-spot during time spent with kids and their teachers and parents through the years. WOW! So, here’s what happened this morning. [caption id="attachment_840" align="alignright" width="103" caption="Tall Paul"]Tall Paul pic[/caption] This little ditty came singing into my head during my power walk. Here’s why. My hand weights were growing ever-heavy. And I began to think how good it might feel to slouch a bit. Then it occurred to me that what I needed right then was a little cheer-along song to keep me standing and walking tall. Gotta pause here a moment to give a shout-out to my mother’s recent physical therapist, a young man we came to call “Tall Paul.” He works at Miller’s Merry Manor in Logansport IN. WOW! Tall Paul’s continued influence on my mother’s stature (and height gain!) came to mind as I thought about my own need to stand tall. So, here’s my brand-new cheer-along song titled “Standing Tall.” You and your child of any age (and any senior parents!) can sing it to the old familiar tune, “Are You Sleeping?” Standing Tall I am standing. I am standing.musical notes dancing pic Standing tall. Standing tall. Look how I am standing. Look how I am standing. I stand tall. I stand tall. Copyright © 2009 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz. First publication. You know, treble clef sign picwith that song in my head, I had to come in, sweat and all, and type it quickly…before the need for another came singing along in this never-still head of mine! You'll want to sing this song (and take the words away to simply speak the words) often to recognize or encourage good posture in your child...and for your own standing-tall benefit! Oh, but stay tuned for still more kinds of benefits with this little song! Yes! Let’s see how you can do more fun things with it, all the while modeling for your child how language belongs to a TALKer! WOW! Did you ever stop to share with your child the fact that a TALKer often manipulates language to meet new needs as they arise? Just like the two of you likely do when you substitute brush our teeth or comb our hair or any number of other tasks in the little song, "This is the Way (We Wash Our Hands)." Well, every time you call out your child's attention to the fact that you can change the words, you are helping your child become a more powerful TALKer. And powerful TALKers become powerful readers and writers. It's true! Research and experience tell us this fact every day.See how I am sitting tall! Okay, look how you can model for your child powerful TALKing with the song, “Standing Tall.” WOW! Model for your child how you can substitute walking for standing in that song's words and have a whole new song for a whole new purpose. music notes picOr, as your positioning and activities change today, model how you substitute sitting or running for standing. Or substitute acting for standing to introduce a figure of speech "acting tall"...now you are modeling TALKing powerfully as you also prevent or manage behavior. WOW! You now have not just one, but five new songs to sing with your child…and to yourself as you go through your day. A couple of notes to add as you and your child sing these songs today and every day. Be sure to sing the songs when you see your child (and yourself) using good posture or behavior! This way, you and your child are well on your ways toward building that feels-so-good habit of recognizing, accentuating, and celebrating the positive in yourselves! Rest assured, there’ll always be a need to sing out this song and its variations to remind your child and yourself to stand, walk, sit, run, or act taller than one of you is displaying at the present time! Now, before you go off singing with your child today, here's another idea I want to offer in sharing “Standing Tall” song variations. Take notice, if you will, the absence of comparative and superlative adjectives in these songs. What I mean here is that there are no words like better or bigger or tallest or smartest…you know, those kinds of adjectives that kids (and adults!) too often tend to say. So, why do I want you to notice this? Well, because I (and each of us) really don’t need to be standing taller than someone else. Nor do I need to stand the tallest of all. I just nkeyboard laptop piceed to stand MY tallest. Tall Paul emphasized that daily to his many senior clients. Thank you, Paul! [caption id="attachment_858" align="alignleft" width="130" caption="I'm being my own best!"]Standing tall![/caption] Again, though I admit I did begin using some comparative and superlative words during my first lap of that ditty, I'd already fine-tuned it on my second lap, and had done a bit more editing by the time I reached this keyboard. So, I share that extra thought with you...to encourage you to sing out today and every day. To encourage you––as the smart and wise person your child knows you to be––to model for your child the all-important goal of winning...by being one’s own best. Tune in tomorrow on THINKing Thursday for some thoughts you and your child can THINK about together! Have fun today standing tall, walking tall, sitting tall, running tall, acting tall, and...well, just being your own tallest selves!


Babs Hadjusiewicz
Babs Hadjusiewicz

Author

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