Writing Update

[chris_gerrib]

While my DVR was recording the Sarah Connor Chronicles last night, I wacked out some words on Space Rescue. Chapter 15, to be specific, which is a "hinge" chapter. It's three short scenes, from three POVs, in which we start to make the turn from being passive survivors / victims of piracy to active anti-pirates.

It's also a chapter in which a two-year-old boy of normal development is left alone overnight by his PTSD-afflicted mother. The boy climbs up on a kitchen counter, pushes over a cereal container for food, and when discovered, asks for "wa-wa" (water). Not having kids, I'm not sure if this is plausible (obviously not safe) so I'm formally requesting input from my readership.

Word Count for Space Rescue
Complete (21.8K) Goal (80K)
27.25% complete
Since Last Post = 1100 words

Comments

[eclectic338.livejournal.com]

My oldest was speaking complete sentences at a year, clearly enough that strangers could completely understand him, so did my 3rd and 4th. My 2nd didn't really talk until 20 months, but then he didn't need to.

My fourth, at 10 months, got a package of dry soup mix from the pantry, pushed a heavy wooden chair from the table to counter, climbed on the chair, had chair in correct orientation so that he could open the drawer, opened the drawer, got out the scissors, opened dry soup mix and dumped dry soup mix all over the drawer... remember that was at 10 months.

At 2, I'd expect him to know where all the food in the kitchen was, how to open all of it, including basic understanding of a can opener (maybe not the muscles to work it, if it was mechanical), where all the proper dishes were, get his own milk out of the fridge and if the carton was mostly empty, he might not even spill it while pouring it on his cereal.

On the other hand, my friend's kid was expecting me to get him a glass of milk, at the age of 6. I laughed at him.

So some of it depends on how independent the kid was raised to be. A son of a PSTD-mom, would be very independent.

[chris-gerrib.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the guidance.