A successful child's party: the signs.

I should have posted this last week, but now is better than not at all.

How does a parent know if their children really enjoyed a party? A child doesn't communicate in the ways that adults do. They may not tell you outright how much they enjoyed themselves or how great it was to have their friends around. Thus, we have to find other ways to evaluate whether or not they enjoyed a particular party.

Last Sunday, I had such a sign. You see, on the Saturday, we had celebrated my wife's birthday party by inviting a number of international and local friends - and their children. Two parties had, therefore, been conducted at once: the adult's party and the children's party. We rather enjoyed our party - but did the children enjoy theirs?

Well, I should tell you that Fintan is normally an early riser. He is often up before me and will be downstairs with a cartoon channel on, often before the rest of the house stirs.

Last Sunday, however, was different. In the morning, there was no sign of Fintan - or Tiarnan, who is also an early riser, though not as early. At lunchtime, there was no sign of Fintan - nor Tiarnan. So then I went looking for them. I found them both asleep in the boys' room. Neither stirred, so deep asleep were they. They were absolutely worn out. It was sweet, to see them sleeping there, so late, for it told me, more powerfully than words ever could have done, how much they had both enjoyed the party of the day before. So much energy had they expended running around with their friends, that they were unable to rise at their accustomed early hours.

I let them sleep and grew ever more amused as the time passed. It was not until past two-thirty that Fintan finally rose, over seven hours past his usual waking time. Tiarnan was even later.

I didn't need to ask them if they had enjoyed the party, therefore. They gave me their answer without even a word being said.

It is funny how sweetness may be found in the most ordinary of parenting events. I found it in an unusually enduring sleep: may you, too, one day.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged seven years and eleven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and four months, and Tiarnan, twenty-one months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)