A powerful emotional story

Michael Schofield writes in the SMH:

Before Janni was born, we were given baby toys by family and friends. Most of them are for six-, nine- or even 12-month-olds. I didn’t expect to use them for months, but if I can get her focused on something, she stops screaming.

One toy has three shapes on it: a red square, a blue triangle and a yellow circle. When switched on, the toy asks, “Find the red square.” I still remember sitting in our easy chair, half-asleep, holding my three-week-old daughter as she bats away at the toy. “Find the yellow circle … Correct. Find the red square … Correct.” Through the fogginess of my exhaustion, I become aware that she’s hitting the right shapes and colours. I look down, thinking it must just be coincidence.

“Janni, where’s the yellow circle?” I ask, watching her arm stretch out, fist closed, as if struggling to make her body do what she wants it to do.

“Correct,” the toy announces.

No. It can’t be. She’s not even a month old. “Janni, press the blue triangle.”

“Correct,” the toy announces.

Oh my God.

At 13 months, Janni can recognise any letter in the alphabet, even upside down or sideways. By 18 months, she’s speaking in grammatically correct sentences and learning basic addition. Plus, she’s sleeping now, but that’s because we discovered that taking her out every day, all day long, gets her tired enough to sleep through the night. It’s not enough for us to wear out her body. We have to wear out her mind.

But the genius, was masking something. Follow the link and read the story. I doubt you will be able to claim it didn’t affect you.