So I don’t often write anything about the Small Ross, because essentially, it’s his life and it matters that he gets ownership of what appears on tinterwebs about him. This isn’t really about him but he’s sort of implicated in it in a way!
So all the way through being preggers with the Small Ross, I listened to my usual music. I love a bit of 90s grunge and I have a particular penchant for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. I love them. I love their melodies, I love the oomph and soul in it. I am a fan of the Cranberries. I bounced like a nutter to all of these bands and more, until I couldn’t cos I was a blob.
So flash forward to last night and the child, me and Mr Dr Ross were in the kitchen. The Small Ross asked to have a dance with me (we do this quite a lot) so I put on Let me Drown by Soundgarden and the Small Ross jumped! My Goodness, he jumped and bopped like only a toddler can! Then we put on Dreams by the Cranberries and he was living his little dream. He adores bopping about to my music. Then Mr Dr Ross put on the Spice Girls. The Small Ross bopped and wriggled a bit but not that much. So, then the question arose of whose music is best. The response was unequivocal:
Mummy’s music is best!
I have indoctrinated my child and he is a little grunger-metalhead! He even loves Metallica!
But that got me thinking… so much of this is because of his environment and he loves things we love. Mr Dr Ross tolerates me listening to loud guitar music and I don’t hate Derby County, so in due course the Small Ross will probably be a bit of a Derby fan.
It is so easy to have a huge influence on a small human and to make impressions on their minds. So when those people are kind, decent people then those influences will be generally good (music is a matter of taste and Mr Dr Ross is clearly wrong). But then those people are less kind or don’t have such good influences in their own lives, then small humans really are at risk. They are impressionable and so much good can be done with them when they’re young, but also so much harm.
It really took very little effort for me to turn the Small Ross into a bit of a metal head, which really isn’t that bad as an early years outcome. But other influences and other things can make such a mess of our kids. Indoctrination, whether deliberate or otherwise really isn’t too difficult and can be hugely empower. Or it can destroy kids.
Something to think about that one!
