How does one get from this…
to this?
Without some kind of master plan, or blueprint, or hours spent coming up with ideas?
The genius of play.
If only we could harness this creativity of six year olds and bottle it!
Imagine the places these amazing minds can go if they continue on their current trajectory!
I usually think ahead and have a list in my mind of possible blog post topics. I have several drafts started on various themes I am looking forward to sharing, but time constrains me from publishing as often as I’d like.
But here is one topic I never dreamed I’d post about:
CHILDREN NEED BASIC HYGIENE!!!
I am astounded by the article I just read in the New York Times about children having up to 10 cavities! One mother said (and I paraphrase) that it never occurred to her that she needed to brush her children’s teeth; that she was simply too busy to have time to think about it. Another parent indicated that her child didn’t like to have her teeth brushed, and therefore she couldn’t make her.
Hello people – we are the adults here! This is not about immediate comfort. We do our children a service by teaching them to take care of their bodies in order to prolong their lives. We know (or should know, as adults) that things that are good for us and necessary are not always fun or enjoyable, but we still need to do them. We do them for our own health and well-being. Ultimately, allowing a child’s teeth to rot in her mouth is incredibly selfish and lazy on the part of the parent.
Is this connected to obesity in children? Have we lost all common sense? Is this a sensational story, or is it really a pervasive trend across the US?
Please, brush your child’s teeth at least twice a day. Please, show some common sense and love your child in ways that enable him to live a long and healthy life. Make wise choices.
sigh
One of my favorite things to do is to read YA children’s literature, or books written for children ages 8 and up to read independently. When my oldest daughter was 8, we discovered a new (to us) author by the name of Jacqueline Wilson.
The first book we read of hers was Candyfloss.
Candyfloss is about a girl who is faced with a very difficult choice to make. Her mother and stepfather are moving to Australia (from England) and Floss has to decide whether to stay with her dad (with whom she spends weekends) or move to the new place with her mom. Floss also has friendship situations to take into consideration as she makes her decision.
After reading this one book, I was hooked on Wilson’s writing. The characters are believable and the writing style gives readers a glimpse into their thought processes. The situations portray life and conflicts that children reading the books can relate to and understand without being exaggerated and over the top. The dialogue and descriptions move quickly, keeping the reader engaged and interested.
As can be noted by the photograph at the top, our family has acquired quite a collection of Jacqueline Wilson’s books over the years. We’ve also borrowed quite a few others (not pictured) from the library, and although a common theme of realistic fiction, family, friendships and self discovery is woven throughout each book, I have yet to read one that seems predictable or trite.
Wilson writes for a wide span of ages from young, beginning chapter-book readers to older teens. I find my challenge as a mom to be making sure that the books are indeed age appropriate in subject matter for my children at the time.
Cliffhanger (whose main character is a boy) was perfect for my 8 year old son last year, while The Illustrated Mum (pictured below) is better suited for my 13 year old daughter.
A number of Jacqueline Wilson’s books have been adapted for the US market, but we’ve found that reading the original British versions are also fun and culturally enlightening.
I’d highly recommend taking a couple of hours to enjoy one of her books yourself today and then introduce it to a young person in your life so they too can enjoy it too and you can discuss it together!
”You’re being a bully!” I heard from the block area. Upon arriving at the scene, I found two angry looking boys facing another boy who looked as though he was struggling to hold back the tears.
“Teacher, he called E a bully!” the angry boys informed me, aghast that such a strong word could be uttered in Kindergarten.
“But, first he…” the sad boy tried to defend himself.
Taking in the scene before me, and knowing the key players as I do, I determined to talk to the “bully-accuser” first.
“Tell me why you are sad,” I began.
“Well, he said I couldn’t play commander fighter with him.”
“But why would he say that?”
“I don’t know. He said I’m mean and he doesn’t want to play with me.”
I called E over to explain himself.
“Tell me what happened before he called you a bully.”
“I asked him to give me those two pieces he has on his space ship and he wouldn’t give them to me, so I said he can’t play with me anymore. He can’t be on our commander fighter cause he’s not nice.”
“But why does he have to give you those pieces?”
“Because there’s only two of them and I want them.”
“But he’s playing with them right now. You can’t tell him to give them to you when he’s using them.”
“L, maybe you could say that he can have them next time, or when you’re done with them.”
“OK”
“But he called me a bully and Teacher A says that bully is a really bad word.”
“I think his feelings were hurt.”
L nods tearfully.
To E: “It made him sad when you said that he can’t play with you. His feelings were hurt.”
“L, when your feelings are hurt, you need to say that. Please say, ‘Those words hurt my feelings and make me sad.’”
Nods and looks down, mumbling, “My feelings are hurt.”
Sometimes, when our feelings get hurt, we say things that we don’t really mean. Sometimes, it takes a neutral party to come in and help us identify the feelings behind the words and translate them into words that others can understand.
We especially need to label and explain feelings and words to children who might understand that words have power, but don’t always attach the correct meaning to the words they use to describe their own feelings.
My job today in the classroom was to listen, explain and offer suggestions for what to do and say next time. There will be a next time, I am sure, but hopefully, over time, the boys will learn to play and work together without hurling accusations at each other and walk away with mutually hurt feelings over a misunderstanding.
Finally, we made our way outside to where there was REAL snow! Of course, Mom and Dad wanted to head straight for the lifts, as did our eldest daughter, but the younger two had to be coaxed and cajoled out of the mound of snow that had built up around entryway. They were touching the snow with their bare hands, stepping into the drifts and poking at the white fluffy goodness with their ski poles.
Throughout the day, it was increasingly apparent that, although we had spent a lot of money and effort on GOING SKIING, the only thing the children really wanted to do was PLAY IN THE SNOW. Looking around, I witnessed many other families with the same predicament: “Come on, let’s go!” “Don’t step in that high drift, you’ll fill your boot with snow!” “Careful of the snowball – it could hit a stranger walking by if you don’t pay attention!” “Put your gloves back on! Your hands will get all cold and wet!”
Our solution: give the kids an entire afternoon to play in the snow to their heart’s content. They didn’t have to worry about getting cold and wet, because we had other clothes for them to change into. They didn’t have to worry about ruining the skiing for anyone else (stray snowball anyone? or a ski pole to the back of the head because some careless children are hacking at a snowdrift with wild abandon?) because they played away from where people were trying to ski. After a few hours, the kids had their fill of play, and we hit the slopes again for two more days of skiing.
There’s an important lesson to be learned (once again) here. I KNOW that children need to play before they can learn, but somehow I thought my kids might have outgrown that need. Obviously not. I should have remembered from summertime swimming lessons, when I usually think far enough ahead to bring the to the pool to play freely in the water for up to an hour before their lessons start. I do the same thing at school, especially during math where we use lots of little pieces we call manipulatives. I always give the kids time to play freely with the materials we are going to be using in the next few lessons, because if I don’t they will be distracted by wanting to play, and then will not learn what I’m trying to teach them.
Children learn about the world around them by playing with it. They need time to explore, manipulate and experiment in their own ways in order to make sense of the world around them.
Next time you find yourself in a tug of war with your child regarding play vs. “work”, ask yourself why. Does the child have a need to discover things on his own? Try stepping aside and giving some time for play. You might be surprised at the results.
I’m curious: do you have any examples from your children?
He belts out orders, negotiates with authority figures like parents and teachers, and wields his voice like a sword.
outdoor play is not a waste of time
we went to the bouncy thing
to burn off some energy, which happened
to be next to a movie theater which happened
to be showing The Secret World of Arriety,
“First Grade Problems” Meme Finds Humor in Little Kid Dilemmas
First Grade Problems — will tell you, you’re seeing kid-life through rose-colored glasses. Click through below for a tour of the perils, trials and tribulations that follow … kindergarten.
Eye Contact
When was the last time you looked into your child’s eyes while having a conversation?
Eye Contact
It shows you care enough to give undivided attention.
It shows you are truly listening.
It shows a child that she is important.
Eye contact:
communicating a world of worth in seconds.
Make it a habit with your child today!
Mo Willems understands children. He knows how to use few words to communicate big life lessons. And he’s funny!
I love to read the Elephant and Piggie books to children, and children never tire of hearing them read aloud. Kids connect with the characters, the situations they find themselves in and the emotions they feel.
The only words printed is the dialogue, as the pictures speak for themselves, conveying a wide range of feelings from joy and excitement to sorrow and disappointment. The images look deceptively simple. These two friends are honest with each other, treasuring their friendship above all else.
We’ve all suffered that kind of disappointment, everyone from young children to adults. We know how Piggie feels.
But we also understand how Gerald, the elephant feels, having caused that kind of pain and disappointment. What I love most, however, is how they comfort each other through the pain. Despite the pain.
This time, we feel Piggie’s pain of rejection. How can this end well?
Hurry! Go to a library and borrow these books! (My Friend is Sad, and I Love My New Toy, both by Mo Willems – or any of the other books by him). Read them with your child. You’ll both thank me, I promise!
PS – as an added bonus, your preschooler will feel quite a boost of confidence as s/he discovers that s/he can “read” whole pages in these books independently after just a few times of hearing them read aloud!
Dear mom, (and dad too)
I consider it a privilege to be entrusted with the honor of teaching your daughter this year. I understand that she will always be your most valued treasure and that no one can ever love her more than you. Thank you for allowing me to play a role in her life.
I promise to do everything within my power to treat her with respect, keep her safe and to intentionally guide her forward to learning, growing and developing new things this school year. I will listen and observe as she makes progress throughout the year and I am certain that I will grow to know and love her as I do each of my students.
I do not enter into this relationship lightly. I am well prepared and passionate about what I do. Just as you entered your career with purpose and determination long ago, I have spent nearly 20 years working every day with children who are the same age as your daughter is now. I am continually learning from the children beyond what I learned in books and from experts, and I have grown to recognize patterns of behavior as well as learning and development in children of this age.
I will inform you of things that we are doing in school and I will do my best to communicate with you. I am here to listen to your concerns and answer your questions, and I am happy to set up appointments to meet with you to do so. You are welcome to send me emails throughout the day, but please understand that my number one priority is to give my undivided attention to the children while they are in the classroom. Therefore I will most likely read the email only after your child has gone home, but I promise to respond to your email before the day is over.
At times, we will welcome you into our classroom. Other times need to be free of parental involvement to give the children a chance to build their own community and to learn independently. It is important for us to develop our classroom routines and expectations in order for the children to have safe boundaries in which to learn.
I intentionally plan conversations, activities and lessons to help each child, including your daughter, to develop socially, creatively and academically. I will monitor and adjust lessons and situations to fit the needs of your daughter and the other 19 children in the class.
I am committed to being patient, kind and cheerful with my students. I strategize ways for the children identify problems and to come up with solutions. Children in my classroom are encouraged to ask questions and to solve problems through inquiry.
I have your child’s best interest at heart. I am not here to evaluate or judge you as parents, only to assess your child’s progress and to help her reach her potential. If I make a recommendation for extra services or evaluation, it is not a reflection of you and your efforts. It is merely because I recognize a need and wish to leave no stone unturned in making sure your child receives the support she needs.
I will spend many hours with your child this school year. I will get to know her as she is at school. She may show different sides of herself in the school context than what you see in your interaction with her. I hope we can work together as a team, realizing that your child is becoming more complex as she discovers who she is.
Teaching and learning with children is my passion and I know this school year will be a good one. I can’t wait to witness her world expanding as she discovers reading, writing, numbers and all the other exciting things we will be learning about this school year. Thank you again for sharing your daughter with me. I am certain that all our lives will be enriched by the lessons we will learn together.
Sincerely,
ms elisa
