Alexa the Photographer

Alexa has always been interested in taking pictures. A little after she turned two she would beg and cry if she wasn't allowed to hold the camera and take pictures, too. At first if you just kept the camera on, she was content to look through the viewfinder and pretend to take pictures without really taking any. She would hold the camera the wrong way, too at first. But gradually she positioned the camera the correct way every time, knew how to turn the camera on, and would only be happy if she could take an actual picture.

Well, now she's evolved into taking the camera from the bag, putting the strap around her neck, turning the camera on, and taking pictures that, really, most people would never guess were taken by a newly turned three year old. She knows how to review the pictures on her own too. She's been a little bit more interested in electronics than Jared has been. At two, she would choose her own DVDs, put them in by herself, turn the T.V. on and press play on the controller. She's progressed to skipping though the different CD chapters to find the song she wants, too. She could sit for hours putting in different CDs and listening to them.

Now, most times we are out and I take out the camera, she has to take pictures, too. Sometimes I get funny looks from people that I take to mean that I'm crazy for letting her run around with the camera by herself, but look at what she's been able to do by 3 simply because we feed her interests? I think it makes such a great case for unschooling.

The pictures below are hers. From now on throughout the blog, whenever I post her pictures, I'll let you know which ones are hers.

I guess most parent do this, but I find myself often thinking about what amazing things my kids will accomplish in their lives. Lately, I find myself fantasising about walking through an art gallery of Alexa's pictures or seeing her pictures in a big magazine. Then I have to stop myself. Who knows what the loves of a three year old will turn into in the future? I just want them to have the freedom and time to pursue their interests as long and as in-depth as they want.