My middle daughter, Ella, does not have a “Hurry Up Button”.
When I think about how early this little quirk emerged, I am all the way back to her infancy. She was in no hurry to eat, no hurry to roll over, no hurry to start walking or talking.
For a while we worried about her, wondering if this was a processing issue or perhaps a delay we needed to address. While her older sister (and younger sister) are more easily taught things like riding a bike, swimming, reading, math concepts; we have discovered something really neat about Ella. She learns these things, mostly on her own, but entirely at her own pace. There was no rushing her to get on that bike and let mom run behind holding the seat… but then one day out of the blue she announced, “I think I’ll learn to ride my bike today.” And she did.
I’d call her more of an “absorber of information” versus a “learner of information.” She figures things out on her own, in her own time, which we call “Ella Time”.
When her teachers get this quirk as well, her learning experiences are really a beautiful thing. If her pace is a little slower with some things, but in the end, her depth of knowledge is great, then a good educator can continue to help Ella flourish. When she is expected to “hurry up”… things don’t go as well— for her teachers, or for her.
Now, at age 7 – she is still on Ella Time. I have to say, I have come to start to understand and appreciate Ella Time, and how her needs and approaches don’t have to be like the mainstream. I am keeping my fingers crossed that her next teacher will feel the same!
Do you have a child without a Hurry Up Button? We’d love to hear more…
