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—MOUNTAIN PEACE SHELTER—

Kids say darnedest things

Gosh, don’t kids just say the darnedest things? Here are some things overheard from kids at the Mountain Peace Shelter:

• “Mommy, I am so glad you left him and brought us to the shelter so we can be safe.” (Boy, 8 years old)

• “Wow, this is the first ‘real’ birthday party I have ever had.” (Girl, 9 years old; boy 10 years old)

• “Joe was coming at me and chasing me. I was so scared. The police came and arrested him.” (Boy, 7 years old)

• “I am so glad that we could bring our cat here—I was worried something would happen to him.” (Girl, 7 years old)

• “If I ever see ‘John’ again, I will kill him. I will beat him up and kill him.” (Boy, 4 years old, stating how he will defend his mom next time. Hopefully, there will never be a next time.)

Sometimes, kids don’t have to say anything at all to be heard loud and clear:

• Cuddling with mommy, falling asleep in her arms.

• A look of fear in her eyes and hiding when anyone raises their voice.

• Laughter and smiles while playing in the yard.

• Locking himself in the bathroom to avoid going on a visit with the other parent.

• Drawing a picture of their new home—a safe home filled with love and dreams.

Sadly, 1 in 3 women has been a victim of domestic violence at some point in her life. Men can be victims of domestic violence, too;  and 50% of domestic violence victims are children. Boys are more likely to become abusive if they come from a violent home.

Mountain Peace Shelter is so much more than our mountain community’s only emergency shelter for women, children and their pets. It is a place of hope. A place of safety. A place of new beginnings; and, most importantly, a place where the generational cycle of violence can stop so the children can learn about healthy, respectful relationships and create a life of peace for themselves, for their pets, for their family and for our world.

Yes, kids do say the darnedest things. Perhaps the darnedest thing is when they put their arms around you and say, “I love you.”

Kathy has been the chief executive officer of Mountain Peace Shelter for over seven years. The Peace Shelter’s second annual Tea Party fund-raiser will be  Sunday, Aug. 29,  from 3 to 5 pm at Evergreen Lutheran Church. Visit www.mountainpeace.org for the various ways you can help end violence in our communities—and our world.

Cute Marie, careful me

While I was at work the other day I dropped my phone, again, pulling it out of my pocket, spilt water on my desk during lunch, then later, while modifying a piece of plastic, I cut my finger with a razor blade. But as the afternoon wore on I remembered that I was leaving early to spend the rest of the day with little Marie and my faithful dog, Seneca.

I stopped by her place to put her car seat in my car and to pick up all her necessities for the next few hours (extra diaper, snack, water, etc.). We secured ourselves in, waved bye-bye to Mama and Papa, and took off to the park.

After her snack, I took care not to wipe her face and tiny hands too hard. I was meticulous when applying her sunscreen, not getting any in her eyes. I surprised myself with my dexterity, catching her water bottle as she knocked it over while  maneuvering with Maria around the park. I was on the ready, not letting Marie take any hard falls. I was gentle and careful around her, whether it was directly with her or just in her presence.

I began to get the feeling that I’m better at certain things when around Marie, particularly when compared to my actions earlier in the day. I felt physically more adept. Did I gain some superpower around my sweet little friend? Perhaps yes. A recent study suggests that her cuteness may enhance my motor skills.

In the study, participants viewed a slide show of varying cuteness depending on which group they had been randomly assigned. The “very cute” group was shown various baby animals, like kittens and puppies. The “medium cute group” was shown adult animals of different species. And the “low cute group” was shown things like house interiors.

After the slideshow, subjects rated how cute the images were. This personal assessment of cuteness was compared to each participant’s ability to accomplish a physical task. In the task, each participant played Operation, the game where players remove various small plastic body parts from the “patient” without touching the tweezers to the metal sides.

The researchers found that fine motor movements and efficiency of the operation task increased with the level of image cuteness. Put another way, the cuter the images seen during the slideshow, the more careful the participant became during the operation task.

Other measures such as skin response, heart rate and grip strength did not fluctuate.

These tell us that the subjects didn’t get more interested, excited, attentive or weaker.

It seems that viewing cute things shortly before performing a motor task may increase one’s ability to be careful.

Animal young have evolved to be irresistibly cute, resulting in our desire and willingness to put much effort into taking care of them. Adult animals may have evolved to react carefully and attentively when presented with “cuteness.”

For those who aren’t aware, Marie is the most adorable little girl ever, so it’s no wonder I noticed a difference in my motor skills when around her.

We arrive back at Marie’s house and her mama and papa greeted her with great big hugs and kisses. As I open my car door to leave, I feel a bit of pain in my cut finger. I wonder if baby-sitting Marie more often may be good for me.

Clint Perry, Ph.D., is currently at the University of Colorado where you can email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Citation: Sherman et. al., Viewing Cute Images Increases Behavioral Carefulness. Emotion. 2009, Vol. 9, No. 2, 282–286