learning by doing

I love when a child becomes excited about learning. It's especially exciting when it's your own child who wants to learn.  As a Mom, sometimes it's hard to find the balance between letting a child help and getting things done quickly.  As I folded laundry today, Bear wanted to help me.  Her folds of anything larger than a dish towel ended up being more like clumps.  She tried so hard to help.  She even put some of her folded clothes away in one of her dresser drawers and was thrilled to do it all by herself.  And she grew frustrated when I tried to help her fold the towels better.  But eventually, with a little teamwork, we did it well enough.  :)

Bear cut out her first paper hearts tonight, with just a little assistance from Mommy.  I had finally found some blunt-tipped scissors for her, and came across them when I straightened the counter last night.  So as I checked my e-mail after putting Buddy in bed, I gave Bear some paper and a pair of scissors and she began snipping away.  She has used a pair of plastic "fake" scissors that don't cut worth beans, and she also has some jagged-edged plastic-coated craft scissors (kid-safe scrapbook-ish style), but they have seemed difficult.  With her other scissors, she would end up ripping more than cutting. 

After showing her how to hold them correctly, she snipped away at a piece of grocery list paper.  Her pieces were much smaller than I would prefer, but she had so much fun and did not draw blood when she did touch her skin with a blade.  Since my kids are not in pre-school, I don't know when most kids begin using scissors on their own.  I have a big scar from playing with scissors as an elementary kid, I haven't rushed that motor skill with her.  But I heard somewhere that it's a skill they like kids to have in Kindergarten, so I figured it might be good to introduce it to her.  

After we totally demolished the "list" and made the tiniest little paper man with arms (she is so creative, she wrapped a narrower strip around a rectangle and called it arms, and asked me to give it a head), I found some construction paper.  I decided it might be safer to have her cut along a line than continue free-styling.  So I folded the pink paper in half, drew half a heart, and set her up.  She needed me to help her around the curved part a little bit, but for her first real cutting experience at home, I was so proud of her.

She asked why I taught her to cut tonight.  I told her I thought it was something she would enjoy doing, and that she would need to know how to do when she goes to school some day.  I asked her if she wanted me to be her teacher until she goes to school.  Her face lit up, "You mean like Aunt Cheryl teaches Emmy and Maddie?!"

Maybe we will wean away from all that TV time we've defaulted to lately.  :)

 

oh, and she seemed to favor holding the scissors in her left hand... I wonder if she'll be a lefty or ambidextrous like her Grandpas?

knows what he wants

Buddy left his half-full sippy cup on the floor, so I put it in the fridge.  Not 5 seconds later, he ran from the living room to the fridge yelling, "ba! ba!ba!" at the top of his lungs while trying to pull the fridge back open.  Guess he wasn't done.

first words

I have not tracked all of Buddy's 1sts as well as I did with Bear.  He is definitely becoming more verbal.  He likes to say Mama and Dada, of course.  He says a nice throaty "aaaagh" while holding his baby triceratops toy or Bear's pterodactyl.  He tries to say or sign "please" and "thank you" when prompted.  His current favorite?  "Hot", which sounds a bit more like "ha."  He'll point to his plate and say, "hot."  When something is in the oven, he does the same.  This morning he walked over to the stove and pointed toward the steam rising from my pot of water for tea.  You guessed it, "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"  (He actually kept me from ruining another pan.)  And last night when we were out about, he said, "co" in reference to the COLD winter air.  No problem with this kid's comprehension.

"laundry" time

"What is she doing?"

Laundry doesn't belong IN the basket, people, I do!

unless I have sis trapped underneath....

Bear took the initiative to fold... it was not mommy's idea.  And she did not even ask for a check mark on her chart!

I don't think I like the "improvements" blogger has made to photo-posting.  Back to Facebook I may go....

Happy New Year!

I should have thought before opening up the living room by moving the ottoman right next to the door... Buddy's already trying to figure out how to unlock both locks.

We're in the process of implementing a reward system for Bear.  She gets check marks for doing simple, age-appropriate chores. She has something in mind that she wants to earn, and has been asking for an allowance.  But we don't keep cash on hand.  I somehow ended up with the pink glass rocks from my sister's wedding (flower arrangement accents).  So this morning we decorated her "job jar."  We'll count up the check marks each day and at the end of the day, put the rocks into the jar.  When the jar is full, she will get the reward she has earned.... right now she wants a lap desk that has a cup holder in it.  Thanks to Aunt Becca for the idea for this system!

So far so good, but she did just come up and ask if she gets a check mark for washing her hands.  :)