Children Will Listen

Caring for Madeleine these days means I'm not getting any long stretches of sleep, but it's not too bad. Right now, our focus is on meeting her basic biological needs – nourishment, clean diapers, safe and comfortable sleeping space. We also enjoy stimulating her growing brain and comforting her with expressions of our love. We're not yet needing to make difficult choices, balancing trade-offs, uncertain about whether we're doing the best thing for her in the long run. Now THAT's the scary stuff.

I've had running in my mind a song from perhaps my favorite musical, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. The song is "Children Will Listen," and here is an excerpt of the lyrics:

Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn

To learn what to be
Careful before you say "Listen to me"
Children will listen

Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true, not free

Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes a spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen

Careful what you say
Children will listen
Careful you do them too
Children will see
And learn
Guide them, but step away
Children will glisten
Tamper with what is true
And children will turn
If just to be free
Careful before you say
"Listen to me"
Children will listen

It's a melancholy song, sung by a woman (a witch, a mother) full of regrets for the unforeseen consequences of her previous actions. Oh man, food for thought.

In the meantime, though, we're just enjoying the cuteness. Dave and I are learning how to bathe her:

Rinsing the shampoo

Dunking her bottom

Ah, so clean!