Archive for August 31st, 2009

A is about the most persistent child I have ever known…on his own terms. He is the living, breathing definition of “intrinsic motivation.” Outside motivation will get him moving for a little while, but not for long. Internal motivation and persistence…holy crap, hold on. Once he decides to do something, nothing will hold him back. It will serve him well in life.

He decided last week that he was going to request a song on XM Kids’ morning show, Kenny Curtis and the Animal Farm. Note that this is a national radio show on XM and a hundred gazillion kids (plus or minus a few gazillion) listen and/or call in every day. He was determined to call in and request Crazy Frog.

Every day last week he was up at 6 am and calling in, either listening to the beepbeepbeep of a busy signal, or walking around the house with the handset on speaker, listening to the “on hold” music. Before I had coffee. There was no WAY he was getting through, and in the meantime he’s not getting ready for school or eating breakfast and just generally screwing up my morning schedule. I mean, the chances of him getting on the air are slim to none, and for God’s sake hang up the phone and eat!

Mom, you’re a dumbass.

Sigh.

Guess who got through this morning? Guess who requested Crazy Frog, only to learn it had been played before he called in? Guess who requested his backup, Hamster Dance? Guess who had a full-on conversation with Kenny Curtis?

So if you happened to be listening to XM Kids this morning around 7 am mountain time, you heard a very happy little boy request a song for himself and his brother. But what you didn’t see was the look of immense pride on his face as he learned that persistence really does pay off. Only his dad and I were privy to that. And it was a lesson we’re so glad he learned.

Intrinsically.