Essential Newborn Care Protocol: a Must Know for Parents and Would-Be Parents

It was Leon’s turn for “Show and Tell”, a school activity wherein a child brings a living or non-living object to school to show to their classmates and to tell something about it.

Some classmates brought their baby pictures to show how cute they were, sporting their lovely baby clothes and striking a ‘Hollywood’ pose. Others brought their pets and explained how they care for them. It’s like sharing a piece of their life story.

Leon doesn’t have a pet to bring and the idea of bringing a baby picture is all worn out. So, what will he bring for the show and tell? Well, this little guy who is only seven years old had the answer ready before he even told me that his turn is coming.

“I’m going to bring my treasure box. In this treasure box are recycled clam shells that I will later sell to people so I can be rich,” he said.

I wanted to laugh at his naïve money-making idea, but he continued.

“If I sell it at one peso each and then I have one million shells, then I will have one million pesos.”

He was beginning to make sense, but I needed to redirect him to our current predicament.

Yes, he can bring the shells to school. What a clever idea! These are shells he and his sister thoroughly washed and dried after one dinner we had about a month ago. They really believed that these kinds of materials can still be put into good use rather than dumped in the trash bin. Though they didn’t know exactly how the shells can be utilized, they kept them in their room.

When asked what to tell his classmates about the clam shells, he replied:

“Clam soup is very yummy and nutritious, and clam shells can be recycled…Mom what will I do with these clam shells if nobody buys from me?”

I suggested creating an artwork using clam shells and sell the artwork instead.

“Alright, then I will not call this (pointing to the box) as my treasure box, it will only be my clam box. The artwork will be the treasure,”  he declared.

His elder sister, Rica, got inspired and also made one. Alas, after one month, the clam shells finally met their purpose and reached another destination.

The night before the scheduled “show and tell,” he asked me to go to their school at exactly 10:45 in the morning to accompany him during his presentation, like what other parents do for his classmates.

“Are you nervous?” I inquired.

“No!”  he answered emphatically.

“Are you not confident that you can do this on your own?” I asked again.

“I know what to do and what to say Mom because we practiced. It’s just that I see other parents go there,” he reasoned.

“For other parents who would need to bring a big dog to school, I understand them coming over.  But for others who don’t need to bring anything, what do they do once they are there?” now driving home my point.

“Nothing.”

“So do you think I should really be coming? You would only have to bring a small piece of artwork and this small clam box, which I can easily pack in a plastic bag,” I explained.

“No need Mom, I can handle it.”

THAT’S MY BOY! I’M PROUD OF YOU LEON!