Puppet Power

So it's official, I'm a homeschool mom. AJ started Classical Conversations (CC) in August and my brain has been on school overload every since! (which is probably why my blog has suffered).

We do home 'school' Mon-Wed and then meet at a local church for group classes on Thursday morning. Then Friday rolls around and we are all useless! No one wants to learn... not Aj and not me!

So, I decided that Friday would be a fun review day with games! I have been struggling to incorporate French into our curriculum, and thought that Friday might be a good time to do some French learning too. So, Friday is now known as Fun French Friday!

In order to make French fun, I pulled out a couple of old, cheap, very basic puppets and decided I'd use them to keep it 'light'. What I learned was a very important lesson.... just like bubbles and crackers, kids LOVE puppets!

I had two children literately melt down when I tried to put the puppets away. "No mommy, more French!!!!" Crazy! I'm trying to think what other applications these things could have. The 'clean your room' puppet. The 'learn advanced algebra' puppet, etc.

So, next time you have problems getting your little one to work on math, french, reading, etc.... maybe try a puppet!

Tips For Leaving Your Child In a Church Nursery Or Care Facility

I have been blessed with two children who were very attached to me and did not like to be left in the nursery.


I KNOW that it is hard to leave a screaming child in the arms of a nursery worker.


I KNOW that you walk out of the room hiding your eyes because you are crying.


I KNOW! I've done it MANY times. It doesn't get any easier for the parent. For the child, however, it does get easier.


I know this because I have four years of experience on the other side of that door as a nursery worker with one and two year old children.

There are two tips to a successful 'drop off' experience:

Tip 1 - Be Consistent

You need to have your child in the nursery on a consistent basis. Not only is it good for the child to understand that you leave and then come back, it is helpful for the nursery workers to know the likes/dislikes of your child.

There was one little boy I use to watch who would cry when his mom dropped him off. We found that we could put him in the high chair with a cracker for 10 minutes when he was first dropped off and then he would calm down, access the situation, enjoy his cracker and play happily with the other children for the next hour!

Trust me, the more you come the easier it gets for everyone.

Tip 2 - Be Calm
Kids get their cues from you. If you are anxious or upset, they will be too. So, put on a happy face!

When dropping your little one off, put on a smile and say: "Mommy is going to church. Miss teacher is going to take good care of you. You have your blanket and paci if you need them. I love you and I'll be back soon." Then give your child a kiss and turn around and leave!

The cardinal rule of dropping off a child is DO NOT STAY! The child will only be upset as long as you are there to witness it.

Most children cry for a couple of minutes and then calm down. But, I have honestly had children scream and cry while their parent is in the room and then stop crying the moment the parent leaves.

Your child is crying because he/she is trying to make you stay. Once your child realizes that you are leaving and you will come back, they will get on with life and start enjoying their surroundings.


FINAL THOUGHTS
-It is totally alright for you to ask someone to check on your child after you drop them off. There have been many times that I have sought out another mom or teacher and asked them to poke their head into my child's room to see how they are doing. Just make sure that you don't check on them directly. If they see you, they will start crying again!

-Make sure you pack something that your child loves (a blanket, paci, teddy, etc). Tell the care worker about it and make it accessible.

-Try to be one of the first parents back at the room once your event is over. Once kids start seeing parents they think about you and start getting upset. I always leave a couple of minutes before church ends so that I am the first back to receive my child. It makes their final memory happy and helps with the next trip!

I KNOW that it's hard to leave your child, but it gets easier. My son is now four. He would cry a lot when he was one... now he doesn't even turn around to say good bye! :(

Parent-Child Date Night

I read an article last year by Reb Bradley who related child rearing to a tree. He said, essentially, that you can tie apples onto a tree but it doesn’t make it an apple tree. Instead "Luscious fruit will be born from what we put into our children- not from what we tie onto them. As a matter of fact, in no time, the fruit that we put onto our children will rot and fall off.”

I keep this quote in mind daily. I am reminded that the relationship I have with my child is important. I must go after his/her heart in order to impact his/her life and life choices.

It is so easy for me to get sidetracked with day to day living. I am constantly immersed in caring for and watching over my children.

"AJ, don’t put that pillow over your sister’s face.”

"Si, don’t ride your Winnie the Pooh train over your brother.”

“Get your hands out of the toilet!” “Don’t touch the stove!”

My words are usually aimed at the body, and not necessarily intended for the heart.

For that reason, Matt and I find it important to set time aside with each child to really connect. Every week we have date night with a child. Matt takes one and I take the other and then the next week we switch. We are not always consistent, but we aim to get alone time with each child at least once a month.

When Si was little I would stay at home with her. I would give her a bath so she could enjoy having the whole tub to herself (without her brother) and I would sit on the floor next to the tub and talk and play with her. Now we go to the park and blow bubbles or enjoy an M&M ice cream together.

Matt likes to take AJ downtown to look at boats and watch the train. Lately I have been taking AJ to go bowling or ice skating, things he cannot experience with a two year old sister in tow.

Where we go isn't as important as what we do. I don’t use my cell phone. I focus on my child and conversation with them. Last week AJ and I went ice skating and then sat and watched the Zamboni clean the ice. We didn’t talk that much, but we were together and he knew that I was there with him, for him and that I love him.

My children are so precious, and SOOO much work. There are many nights that I long for bed time so that I can have some peace and rest. It is so nice to have a night dedicated to getting out of the daily routine and connecting with the heart of my two year-old and four year-old balls of energy.

Library Rules

My ideal library would have their children's section in a separate, soundproofed building, with shelves of reinforced steel and soft pillowly floors that the children could bounce around on without getting hurt.

If that is too much to ask, perhaps there could be a drive-thru library that senses when I'm coming, chooses a bunch of books my kids would LOVE, checks them all out and has them waiting for me at a convenient, drive up window so that all I have to do it put them in my car.

Unfortunately, these libraries do not exist and I'm forced to visit quiet, adult oriented libraries with two loud, busy children!

I went on hiatus from the library a couple of months ago when my children decided to run away from me, in opposite directions, through rows of books all the while screaming and laughing at the top of their lungs. Then, when I successfully scooped Si up under my arm she persisted in screaming, kicking and flailing, while her brother crawled across the floor after me screaming 'i don't want to leave' !

Needless to say, we didn't visit the library for a LONG time after that experience.

Finally, after reading the same books 100 times, I realized that it wasn't their fault we had a bad library experience, it was mine. I failed to set clear expectations for what was acceptable in a library. For all they knew the library was sound proofed and the shelves were made of reinforced steel!

So, I sat AJ and Si down and explained to them that running, yelling and climbing are not acceptable in a library. If they run, climb or yell, they will receive a punishment. Also, I explained that in a library we talk, walk and keep our feet on the floor.  Then, we loaded ourselves into the car and headed to the library. Before getting out I re-explained what I expected of them and what the consequences would be if they did not act appropriately.

After a few climbing and running experiences the kids realized that I was serious about the consequences and our experiences have been MUCH better.

Si still has a hard time keeping her voice low, but she is two, so i understand that a little bit of excitement won't hurt.

Now, we are happily visiting the library every couple of weeks and mama isn't reading the same Dr. Seuess book over and over and over again! :)

Coffee Talk

I LOVE coffee. I have a special, Hazelnut cream that I buy at Wholefoods and mix it with my Fair Trade coffee and a little raw sugar. It is my special treat every day! I look forward to it. I don't let anyone else make it. I LOVE my coffee.

But, even more than my coffee, I love my family. And MOST days I prepare my special cup around 8am only to find a 3/4 cup of cold coffee on my counter around 3:30 in the afternoon. While I take great care in making my coffee, I rarely find a good time to actually drink my coffee!

Then, at Christmas I received a metal travel mug for taking coffee on the go. I used it for going out a couple times before I realized that I am ALWAYS going somewhere! Now, I prepare my special cup of Hazelnut, Fair trade, raw sugar coffee at 8am in my 'to go' cup, and go around the house all morning with a warm cup of coffee following me from room to room and activity to activity. I usually complete my coffee around 11, and it's still warm!

Just a tip for my fellow, busy morning coffee lovers!