Learning from Big Brother

This morning, while I was attempting to wake up with blankets still pulled up and over my shoulders, Seth asked if he could have a shower in the ensuite.  Moments later, I could hear him singing in there...always one of my favourite sounds...when he's relaxed and uninhibited and enjoying the sound of his own voice.

While I was still drifting in and out of sleep, I suddenly heard Matthew in the bathroom, asking Seth if he could come in the shower, too.  Seth agreed and I could hear them chattering and singing together in there.

Then I heard the following conversation, which was kinda neat because Seth still totally needs my direction (and often help) when it comes to remembering how to lather himself up and how to shampoo his hair.  I was so intrigued by the first bits of the conversation that I reached over to pick up my computer and record their conversation.

Matthew: "Seth, I'm going to teach you how to shampoo your own hair.  Watch me, OK?"

Seth: "I guess.  OK."

Matthew: "Take about this much shampoo in your hand...see...you don't need very much...now you do it...good job Seth."

Matthew: "...OK, now put it on your head and the idea is to get shampoo all over your head so that all of your head gets clean, not just one little part...Seth, you need to rub all over your head, not just in one spot.  Watch me....OK, now you do it.

(silence)

Matthew: "Yes, Seth, like that!  Good job.  Now all of your head is clean."

(chit chat while they rinsed their hair out and argued over who got to stand under the spray)

Matthew: "OK, now, let's wash our bodies now.  First you can take one pump of Mom's awesome orange smelling stuff...smell that...isn't that great?"

Seth: "Yeah, awesome.  Smells like orange in here.  Like this?"

Matthew:  "No, that's too much, Seth.  You don't need very much.  Look, one pump covers most of your body if you move your body out of the spray."

Seth:  "Oh. Like that?"

Matthew:  "Yup."

(silence while I imagine bodies being scrubbed)

Matthew:  "Remember your armpits."

Seth:  "OK."

You get the gist of the conversation...it was great.  I loved that Matthew took on the initiative to teach Seth, and I could totally tell that it was working for Seth to have someone other than his mother doing the teaching!