Having a daily routine and general predictability can be great for kids and for parents. It provides boundaries ("we are not eating until snack time at 3:00"), certain peace ("It is quiet rest time in your room. I will see you at 2:45 when your alarm goes off"), and guaranteed time for togetherness. This schedule has worked very well for us for the past 2 years. Sometimes we stray when we're sick, traveling, or have a big family day planned; however, it always comes back to this. Everyone is happier. Here's a little deeper look at how we fill that time and what the expectations are. BreakfastWhen we consistently feed our bodies at a certain time in the morning, our bodies generally adjust so we wake up near that time. If you have an early riser, and you always give them breakfast at 5 when they wake up, their bodies will continue to wake up for breakfast at that time. Schedule breakfast for a time that is convenient for everyone so think about work/daycare/commitments and shoot for some general consistency (+ or - half an hour). Morning Activity & Afternoon CraftThe night before, I will plan and lay out an activity. Sometimes I do it too; other times no. Some ideas for activities are:
Play or OutingPlay time means INDEPENDENT PLAY TIME. Sometimes we'll have a friend over for playtime. Sometimes I'll set up a play scene to get things rolling, but this is a time to be a part from one another. It is a time that I do things around the house or get some work done while she can explore her toys, play with art supplies, read books, listen to audible stories, or be with her own boredom. I try to make this a YES time (so long as it doesn't require me). Check out the post on sparking independent play if you're looking for help with this time. An outing means we will go adventure somewhere cool like an indoor playground or the beach (check out the Twin Cities tab for more ideas), or we're going to a class or program like swim or music lessons, or it might mean we're running errands. If I am going to sign P up for lessons or classes, I really aim for it to fit into this window or the evening play window if possible. Outdoor TimeIt is so important to get kids outside every day, regardless of weather. If you have it built into your schedule, it will help you better meet that goal.
SnackWhen you have snack at one set time of the day, you can get away from the habit of mini snacks throughout the day. When your child says "I'm hungry!" you can respond with when the next meal is with confidence because no child will starve between lunch and snack time. Snacks are usually things like:
Reading & RestThis is a time of intimate togetherness. Plan to give your entire attention to your one child in this moment. Turn off your phone (or better yet, leave it outside the room), hold your child, rub their back, and connect with one another. Instead of just reading books (which is great so keep doing that too!), you can spice it up by retelling a story from your childhood (kids love that! P: "tell me a story about a time you made a mistake"), a fable, a made up story, or do story stone stories together in which you pull stones with images (or just images or items) out of a basket, line them up in the order pulled out, and create a story together using those images as the key details. Please comment or share any other schedules that have worked in your home, schedule challenges that arise, or any questions or thoughts!
0 Comments
They say boredom is good, but...My kids hang on my legs! They won't leave me alone! It's just chaos! We know that boredom sparks creativity, imagination, & critical thinking skills. We know that Waldorf proponents endorse open ended play. We know that Montessori proponents advocate for longer play periods and pushing through boredom or lulls. Yet, we sit at home and wonder why is it not working for me. What am I missing in all this? What is my kid missing? A kick startMaybe you're making the transition from a life of constant entertainment (TV, all the toys, loads of structured activities) to a life of simplicity and less. Or, maybe your kid is just in a funk today and can't seem to get things going. Here are some ways you can be the catalyst to their play. Your RoleYou have two jobs:
Invitations to create: Process ArtAccording to the Guggenheim, "Process art emphasizes the “process” of making art (rather than any predetermined composition or plan) and the concepts of change and transience," This means, you will be setting up the tools and, maybe, the prompt or limits, but your child will do everything else. You will not care how it looks in the end. Simply focus on the process. In this situation, I gave P a straw, 3 paint colors, and a piece of paper. This lead her on an hour long process which ended with her creating "monster puke" outside. She would ask me things like "what would happen if I poured this color in this color?" and I would say "I wonder what would happen if you mixed that?" Which gave her the permission to mix it without seeking my approval. It certainly ended in a mess at times (then I would say "I wonder how you'll clean that up :)"), but it showed me how creative she can be all on her own.
Invitations to PlaySimilarly, you can be in charge of the tools and the prompt with toys. Sometimes kids just need a new outlook or story to run with in order to get things started because play is hard. It is important work, but it takes practice, skill, and imagination. So we can just give it a little nudge sometimes. Which one looks more enticing?The first one is completely open. There are toys situated below, but it leaves EVERYTHING as an option. That can be overwhelming. It can be daunting. It took me 5 minutes to set up the second scene. I said to P " Oh no! The baby foxes have been separated from their mother and father. Who is going to help them get home? How are they going to get there?" She immediately started pulling out more toys saying "there's the evil trolls on the river! and the magical unicorn will be protecting the secret gem! what if there are other forest creatures ready to help?" She spent 45 minutes helping the foxes get home. Your open ended play tool kit:You don't need to spend $100 on a wood rainbow to have an enticing playroom. Here are some super cheap ideas to start the open ended play in your home.
Final tip: remember from above that presentation matters! Consider an organizer to show all these loose parts in an enticing fashion. Baskets, plastic or paper plates, or clear jars work for displaying too! Put something like this on the table and give them a prompt like:
Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission - at no cost for you. For more information, click here.
I love wooden toys! However, they usually come with a hefty price tag, which is why I create a lot of my own toys for my children. Today, I am going to show you how to create your own peg gnomes which are so cute as a part of a larger mythical set or woodland set. Materials
Step Two: The HatWait to glue the hat on the gnome until the end. It makes it easier to add the beard if you don't have a hat to work around. It's also better to complete the beard first so you know how far down to push the hat. Step Three: The Beard
Step Four: The NoseStep five: Add the hat & you're done!Thanks for checking out my post on how to make gnome peg dolls! Tune back in for more crafty posts. Also, feel free to look around the blog for parenting information inspired from my Family Education work.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission - at no cost for you. For more information, click here. Outdoor baby gear and baby wearing equipment can be very expensive so I recommend searching for products secondhand through thrift shops or online marketplaces. Use the products below as ideas for what to be searching for. While you search through the racks at thrift stores, always check the tags to see what products are made of. Personally, I always grab Keens sandals, merino wool clothes, Patagonia/North Face/LL Bean outerwear, and sorrel boots. I always look in the upper sizes as well and keep a bin for future use at home. Be sure to buy the right sizes for the proper seasons (i.e. if your baby is born in December, your 18 month clothes should be summer) Ideas:
*Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission - at no cost for you. For more information, click here. As parents, we can derive some of our parenting styles from the work of early childhood education philosophers like Maria Montessori or Rudolf Steiner. In this post, we will explore how we can incorporate some elements of the Reggio Emilia influence into our homes. Reggio EmiliaReggio Emilia is a town in Italy. After the end of World War II, the city decided to reallocate its funds to enhance the early learning experience. They followed the guidance of psychologist Loris Malaguzzi who drew heavily from the community, geography, and families in his development of this program. This philosophy operates under the notion that early childhood is a vital time to develop distinct personalities and that children speak "one hundred languages." "The Reggio Emilia approach values the belief that children are strong, competent and capable citizens who are full of wonder and curiosity to learn. It believes that children have a natural drive that makes them want to understand and know about the world around them and how this world relates to them. Children are believed to be capable of constructing their own methods of researching and learning using everything from play to a variety of other hands-on-learning experiences." - Bear Park At HomeA Reggio Inspired home would include:
Process Oriented EngagementAs parents, we can be caught up in production. Are they meeting their milestones faster than average? Will my child get into the Gifted & Talented program? Did my child make Instagram-worthy art? A parent who shifts their focus to the process will start to appreciate the journey they are on instead of the end goal. You can do this observing more & practicing process art. In the words of Magda Gerber: "Observe more, do less. Do less, enjoy more." Through observation, you remove your expectations, emotions, hopes, and anxieties and you see your child for who they are. In that process, you might notice how they express frustration verses needing comfort. You'll notice their preferred ways of playing. You'll notice how they engage with others. For more information on observation, check out Janet Lansbury. Additionally, process art is engaging in the experience over the end product. In the words of Meri Cherry: "Process art is about the journey. It is about listening, connecting, empathizing, and wondering. Process art honors the individual in all of us. It values critcal thinking, exploration, thinking outside the box, and the developmental process of each individual" (Play, Make, Create, p.6) As an example, you might set out some materials for arts & crafts in your home. In a traditional art experience, you might set out the materials to create a fox and an example of what the fox looks like with the hopes of your child's looking similar. With process art, you could still frame the work experience with limits and specific materials; however, the priority wouldn't be on making something specific. You might set out some pegs, paint, brushes, twigs, flower petals, and glue and say "let's make animals." Design: The Third Teacher In the Reggio classrooms, the room is considered the third teacher so there is much emphasis in the design of the space. Your space should be considerate of:
DocumentationA Reggio Emilia influenced room would have space to show off the work done by your child through photos of your child engaging in materials or a process art project you set up as well as the actual products (regardless of their instagram-worthiness). Displaying photos of your child engaging helps reinforce your value on the process as well as the natural world. Similarly, displaying your child's products shows you value their expressions and creativity which helps them build a sense of confidence, ownership, and accomplishment. If you enjoy Reggio Emilia, I hope this gives you some good ideas on how to engage the philosophy in your own home.Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission - at no cost for you. For more information, click here.
|
Emily BarstadMaster's in Family Education Archives
March 2020
Categories |