Learning for Life – Paper Costumes

One of the things that allows for a bit of fun, imaginative play and a cheap way to entertain the kids on a rainy day is making costumes out of old newspapers. It’s not really that hard to do, and you can whip up an Oscar’s stunner in under 30 seconds.

You’ll need some newspaper, some sticky tape and your child’s imagination. You can make princesses, Ned Kelly’s, knights in shining amour, sun hats, moon boots. The list is as endless as the imagination.

It’s fun and easy to give them a little bit of freedom. And, you can have your own fashion shows too!

Have fun!

Jay.

 

 

 

 

“Yes Mummy, Yes Daddy”

Today I have asked Mark, my husband (I call him Mr Spunky) to write some thoughts down on one of the principles that we have in our ‘parenting toolbox’. I hope you enjoy what he’s written.

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Jay has asked me today to make some comments on some expectations that we have for our children – more so Boo (our daughter) at the moment, but certainly this particular principle that I will share about is something that we have set as a standard that we are striving to parent to.

Saying Yes
One of the things that we have worked on since Boo was able to talk, was getting her to say “Yes mum” or “Yes dad” when she was asked to do something. We worked on first time obedience (and we are still working on it) however something that helped us to that end was requiring a response from her.

Simply put, when we speak to Boo (and in time our Little Mister) something that requires an answer or action, we expect her to give us a response. Jay and I are in unity about this, and we work hard to make sure that the expectation is met. In other words, we don’t give up until we have a response from Boo. Is it hard? Hard is not the word. Does it take time? A word of advice – throw the watch away. What is the expectation? We expect her to act on what we said first, and to verbally respond to our request with a clear ‘Yes mum/dad’ while looking at us.

The Commitment
Why do we do this? For numerous reasons – the most important of which is working towards first time obedience. Why is this so important? Because it raises the standard to a consistent level. When a child is continually allowed to get away with some things, yet the following day the same disobedient action slides by, the child then becomes confused and insecure, as they fail to fully understand the requirements of the parents. Whatever consequences are handed down are then done so in light of the mood and persistence of the parents. God’s standard is the same, for all men at all times – and if we are serious about parenting under God’s justice and standard then we to must adopt the same approach for our children.

The second thing it does is it gives Boo a choice. She knows of our standard for first time obedience and she has a decision to make as to whether she obeys it or not. The standard remains the same, however it is her response that can change – and as such the same consequences are provided.

Does this mean that Jeanette and I are hard parents – and that it is our way or the highway? No. As Boo grows older and is now starting to show that she can do things and respond to instruction (still with a “Yes mum/dad”) without prompting from Jay or myself, we measure that and are now allowing her either a way of escape or we provide a few minutes warning. Let me explain;

A Way of Escape and a Warning
Say as a family we were going on an outing and I came in from packing the car and found Boo playing with some blocks. Knowing of our impending outing and the mess that can be caused I ask her to pack up. Now that she is older she could turn and say that mummy told her it was ok to play with the blocks. I then check with Jeanette who is in the middle of cleaning up a messy nappy or changing our son’s clothes Jay may tell me that she told her to play with the blocks so that she was occupied while she cleaned up an unexpected emergency with Noah. Boo was doing the right thing, and I would then go and encourage her in giving me a correct response to go and check with mum.

Continuing with the situation above, if Jay and I are nearly ready one of us would let Boo know that she has only a few minutes more of play and then she will be asked to pack up for good. This helps her to know that her play time is nearly up and she can lodge that thought in her brain and get used to the fact. The frustration of suddenly leaving her toys is then softened and she is able to finish the activity on her own terms.

Conclusion
I hope that my brief thoughts above have given you some ideas to implement with your own children. If you have any questions please leave a comment and it will be our pleasure to get back to you.

Thanks Jay for letting me blog on your site. Love you!

 

Friday Funny- 3 year old assists birth

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very, very dark, so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-year-old girl, to hold a flashlight high over her Mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby. Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked.

Heidi pushed and pushed, and after a little while Connor was born.

The paramedic lifted him his by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry.

The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-year old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.

Kathleen quickly responded, “He shouldn’t have crawled in there in first place……… smack him again.”

(HT:gather.com)

Have a great Weekend!

Smiles Jay

 

Learning For Life – Sign Language.

From the time my children are around six to eight months I begin to teach them to communicate through sign language. Whilst, I only teach them a few key phrases I see this process as teaching my children a second language. Its a way for them to communicate with me long before they have the ability to put what they are saying into words. Like all skills time, patience and encouragement are needed for success but when you apply these things into your everyday routine you will be suprised at how your child can communicate.

I have found that teaching this skill has helped to prevent whining and really facilitated my daughter in her acqusition of language skills. The following signs have been particularly helpful in our home and I believe they are a good starting point for any young family. I suggesst you work on one at a time, taking your childs hand through the motion of the sign while saying the word out aloud.

1) “Thankyou”: Move flat hand, palm facing you, from chin out in a slight arch.

2) “Please” : Rub chest with hand in a circular motion

3) “No”: Make a fist with your hand and shake it from side to side

4) “All done”: Hold both hands with fingers spread apart, palms facing chest. Shake palms away and down.

I hope that you tto find these signs useful and I encourage you to begin trying them out with your children.

Smiles,

Jay

 

Learning for Life – Read, Read, Read!

As a teacher I had the awesome responsibility of teaching young preppies (5 and 6 year olds) to read. Watching them learn how to make sense of the words in a book was my favourite, most rewarding aspect of my job. However, it doesn’t all begin in the classroom. Children can begin to learn how to read long before they start school and as parents it is our responsibility to provide them with as many opportunities to learn this skill as we can.

Reading aloud to both my children is something that I do every day, even though my Littel Mister is only just turning six months old he seems to get some genuine enjoyment from listening to a story. He laughs, coos and lies perfectly still listening to what is being said. I started reading to Boo at a young age too and she now has a real love for books. She has been ‘reading’ books by herself from memory (the first stages of learning to read) for nearly a year now and will spend at least 30 minutes a day reading aloud by herself to her dolls.

I encourage you to join your local library and emerge your children in reading. These libraries are an excellent resource allowing you to expose your children to a huge range of different texts. Set yourself a personal goal as to how many times you read to your child, but aim to do it daily. Spend time exploring all the aspects of the book. The words, the pictures as well as the cover of the book and encourage your toddlers to recall things that they remember as you read to them.

Most importantly, teach your children that reading can be fun! Act out a story in character or spice up your reading by using finger puppets or even home made sock puppets. I encourage you to beginning reading today and watch you little ones grow and benefit from this time you spend together.

Happy Reading!

Jay

 

Friday Funny – Laugh, baby, laugh

This had both Mark and myself in stitches. It’s hilarious and well worth a second look. Enjoy your weekend!

Smiles,

Jay

Cutest Baby Laugh Ever

 

Learning for life – Play dough

Boo just loves playing with play dough. She will spend hours sitting at her table playing with it. She has become quite creative with it now too so its great for her imagination as well as her hand-eye coordination. Here’s a recipe that I found to work really well. The dough should last for around three months if you store it in an airtight container

3 cups flour
1 cup salt
6 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 cups water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Food coloring

Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Blend water and oil together in a bowl. Add to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add several drops of food coloring until you get the right color. Cook for about five minutes. Take the play dough out of the saucepan and put it on a cutting board or counter and knead for a few minutes. Add flour if it’s too sticky.

Have Fun,

Jay

 

Friday Funny – Who da bear?

 

Taking time out to say thanks.

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love.” Mildred. B. Vermont

I encourage you to remember this quote as you go about your daily tasks as a Mummy. Take time out to give your children a big hug and say thanks for the awesome privelege of their love.

 

Learning for Life – Sandpaper Letters

One of the things I plan to use this blog for is to share ideas about activities that you can do with your children in your own home. The activities I suggest have be tried out with my own children and will hopefully be as exciting for your children as they have mine. As a primary trained teacher I have a love for teaching children and there is nothing I love more then watching my own children learn and develop through the activities I provide them with here at home. It is my plan to post an activity or idea, which you can try out, every Monday so keep checking back and most of all have fun with your children!

ACTIVITY #1: ALL ABOUT NAMES!

Every day I spend an hour of toddler time with my three year old. During this time I provide her with some structured learning time and this is one activity that we have just begun including in this time. I have cut out the letters of her name in sandpaper (fairly large in size). I spell out her name with the letters at the table and I ask her to run her fingers over the letters, we talk about what each letter is and how these are the letters of her name. Children love texture and this is a great first step towards learning what their name looks like and how they can write it. (You can use your computer to make stencils of the letters if you are not confident in writing them yourself.)

Have Fun

Jay