THE BIG PICTURE: When I watch my son, I continue to learn more about the true nature of human beings. He has become a very sincere guru for me.
He never tries to teach me anything, yet the more I study with him, the more insight and awareness I uncover about the reality of our world.
And I am stunned, in contrast, by the level of level of misinformation and simple ignorance that is circulating in our society about our abilities and our interests.
One thing I noticed very early on was his determination to practice, learn and develop. It has been his primary purpose in life since birth (and likely before that, I just didn't have the chance to observe it).
I remember when he first began rolling over and was unable to lift his weight using his arms. He practised every day, all day, taking breaks only to rest or study something else in the world.
He persistently exercised to develop strength and skill, spending hours each day on one specific task, recovering the next but never forgetting to begin again as soon as he was able.
He was "on" all the time - never halfway alert, never half-hearted. And when he had taken in all he could, he would sleep to process and absorb the experiences of the previous hours.
There is nothing about my son that's lazy. There is also nothing about him that's foolhardy.
I have never seen him enter a situation before assessing it first for both safety and skill required. In exchange, I have extended to him my trust and have discovered how well aware he is of his own abilities.
He has neither a sense of fear in working within them, nor a sense of shame to prevent him seeking assistance when things are beyond him.
As his skill continuously changes, his own knowledge is much better than mine.
I'm not saying he doesn't fall. He does. In fact, one of my greatest fears in extending so much trust is that bystanders would suggest I was negligent; one more way I, as a parent, get to feel bad about myself.
I'm also not saying I don't protect him from danger. I do. But my studies of his world view have shown me that I could teach him about danger through experience.
Let us both stand near the traffic, noticing how fast it is; or approach a candle and feel its heat together. So far, his accidents have been rare and have taught him a lot.
His purpose for living seems to be to experience, process and develop perspective.
Recently, at lunch with a friend, my son attempted to stab a piece of potato with a fork. He caught only the edge of a large piece and drew it towards him, finally bringing the swinging potato to make contact with his teeth.
My friend reacted suddenly, fearful that the potato might fall and be lost (and it very well might have). As he looked to me to respond, apprehensive about impending jeopardy, I remarked lightly that I saw parenting as a fine line between risk and trust.
And I do. Had the potato dropped, my son would have thought about it and learned something new. When it didn't, he made no celebration, but the sense of achievement was invaluable.
I find my son in a continuous state of learning and exertion. I have never yet seen him choose to be immobile, unless for the specific purpose of sleeping. It has made me think about how lazy adults become.
He hates being in a buggy, wanting to walk and explore at every moment.
Still, I have often forced him to sit while I ran from one place to another attempting to accomplish a thousand things in an hour. If he becomes accustomed to sitting around for long periods of time, I know it will be because he has been forced to accommodate someone else's agenda and not because this was his natural inclination.
Another thing I find absolutely amazing is the depth of his imagination. He has many words I recognise, many more I haven't yet fully understood, and is beginning to string them together in sentences.
It is only now that I am learning how dynamic his perception is - how fluid, sensitive, conceptual and detailed his aptitude is.
Despite all my experiences and academics, I long to have access to such intelligent, free thinking.
When confronted by this consistent model of diligence and attentiveness - and the fact that it appears to be unique to the very young - it becomes painful to witness the widespread dismissal of children in our society.
We do not make them the centre of our universe. We do not offer them real respect. We do not treat them as equals.
We all suffer as a result.
• Shalini Sinha is an independent producer and journalist, and a counsellor on equality issues. She has lectured on women's studies in UCD and is co-presenter of Mono, RTÉ's intercultural programme.