Children in Museums

I love museums.  When I was young and we went on family holidays, I always wanted to go to a museum, and I'm sure I drove my sister insane.  My father was always happy to take me, so I didn't realise until much later that history really isn't a major interest of his.  I'm glad he allowed me to explore what I was interested in, even if he didn't share my enthusiasm.

This is something I'm now learning, too.  I love taking my children to museums, and they enjoy going, too.  They simply don't enjoy seeing the same things I do.  Kieran is more than happy to spend all his time looking at the fish when we're at the World Museum.  I did manage to get them up to the Egypt exhibit the last time we went, but neither of them were too interested.  Well, Kieran did enjoy the fact that he could touch a granite block with the face and cartouche of Ramesses II on it that was from the temple at Bubastis, though he didn't care so much about me pointing out the cartouche.

Yesterday I took them to a Hittite exhibit at a different museum; I thought they'd enjoy it, as it was very kid-friendly, and they did enjoy some of it, but what Kieran really enjoyed was the John James Audubon exhibit on the floor below.  While that might not have been my first choice, I certainly didn't want to deter him in his interest.  So I must take this lesson from my father, to encourage my children in their interests and to never seem like I don't share that interest.  Besides, the kids and I might both learn something in the process.  In the meantime, I'll just thank my father for always encouraging me.  Thanks, Daddy.  I love you.