Archive for the 'Thought of the week' Category
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September 29th, 2011
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Each year school districts up and down the land produce a large long list of items for children to bring to school.
It was stuff of legend to me. I’d heard about long prescriptive lists and not finding the exact thing and knew. I just knew they had to be exaggerations. urban myths gone too far.
So I was a little knocked off my feet to receive my first list a few years ago.
I wasn’t prepared or well informed so I was late to the shops and found the cupboards bare. I tramped to many a shop along with the ‘furrowed brow posse’ of equally worried mums some of us with kids and others who knew better.
Who knew elation could be so great to hear the assistant say there was a box of crayola colourfast X YZ in the back. Three families sigh and check it off the list.
Who knew I would spend over $130 that day getting everything. And no there’s wasn’t a line in the budget for that. Yes we did eat differently that week.
Older and wiser the following year things were a lot better. Line in the budget, got to the right shops, made it to a few sales….most importantly watched what was going on with the savvy mums. Made all the difference.
Image credit: Dnorbot
The kids are all sorted with the things. It’s all in school. But what about us. What do we need to remember to do during the back to school time?
We want to be just as organized in our lives, home and work.
Here are a few reminders of things that should be on my back to school list
- Don’t sign up for everything.
- Schedule downtime and connection time with each child- Everyday.
- Make playing outdoors a habit- forget seasons predict and adapt.
- Not everyone is doing it. It might look like it but they aren’t. It’s Okay to be different!
- Playdates and dinners with mates.
- Learn new skills, go out, let the kids see you differently.
- Take it easy on yourself. When systems, routines and ideas fail. Pick yourself up and try again. Chocolate is not the answer. ( That last bit was for me!) Manic Mommies is always good.
It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and do a lot or volunteer for things. While the kids are in daycare, preschool or school what back to school supplies do you look out for, for yourself?
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August 31st, 2011
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On a recent visit to an Art Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic. I was delighted to come up against these wonderful collages or sculpture by Shalom Tomas Neuman.
Love how everyday toys, electronic items are used to create really zany pictures.
You can see more about the work here,
Art at home does not’ have to be about pen, crayons and paper. Hope you’re inspired from your environment too.
What art work have you taken your little ones to see that you would recommend?
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August 8th, 2011
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It’s probably something that most of us can relate to in the popular book, Too Many Toys by David Shannon, of the poor dad stepping on LEGO pieces.
LEGO this summer has come into its own with all the boys. With our age span from 3 to 8 now we have many different types.
On a recent visit to Jen of Muminthemadhouse the LO played with her boy’s LEGO Space set . It was a rare and not forgotten treat.
All the way home he talked about the “Plane” meaning shuttle. Other peoples LEGO is so exciting and it makes you think and create in different ways.
We’ve been happy to find huge tubs of it a car book sales lately. While I’m happy for the boys my heart aches for hoovering around that stuff. So far the grand finds have been at their Grandparents’ house so they are getting the pleasure of LEGO. I know in a few weeks though that all most of that LEGO will be making it’s way back here.
What keeps me sane with LEGO?
Letting go!
I know that LEGO will be around the house. It’s really not the biggest deal. We live in our home and always have. I expect to see that kids live in a home and one of their things is that they drift and leave stuff. I love that active play in them to do this.
Listening
Have you listened to your kids, when they don’t know you’re there, playing with LEGO? It’s a joy! They so totally get into it and absorbed. The situations and scenarios they play out are long and complex. Yes some of them are based upon familiar characters but I’ve seen a lot of crossover from books, real life and just imagination.
Time
LEGO has been a huge hit this summer and 3 little boys have sat, squirmed and rushed around for huge swathes of time inside and out setting their own play. They’ve completely got lost in the play and can’t believe it’s meal time or anything else. That’s a great thing! It’s how I remember summer being.
Light flash!
Today I hit upon and idea that just works well for me. Hoovering is hard.I don’t want to suck up those little extra pieces but it happens, at times. So I found a box and as I was tidying the room for hoovering I dropped the pieces in there. I did this for two rooms. Look at the booty I found!
I think the boys will love me! More Lego is like ice cream- you just can’t have enough!
It’s a simple tip that perhaps you already did but it’s saved my sanity. I don’t feel so annoyed and frustrated at all these little pieces.
Sometimes WE choose the toys that suit US as parents for ease of use, lack of pieces, quick, expensive, electronic, no mess because it’s EASIER for us. It’s not that we do all the opposites of those listed we have our days too when we need to do differently.
What I’m trying to do though is find a way for the boys to participate in unstructured and the messy and make it work in our home. Intentionally finding a way to make play opportunities work that are ideal and welcomed because they allow the kids to shine and play in ways that will surprise.
This box…. sets me on the road.
Photo credit: justmalia
Do you have any LEGO storage tips for me?
P.S I would love to do this for the boys room. What a creative way to store LEGO!
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July 21st, 2011
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It’s that time of year again with the ( UK) Summer holidays right on our doorstep. You can tell it’s almost the end of term because the shoes just fit, there’s a hole appearing in all the school uniform trousers and you’ve just realised you’ve been washing less uniform as parts are surely at school. Left as one part of the goal post or on the bench.
Everyone’s tired.
We try and make a teacher gift each year. After being on the end of this annual ritual of gift giving, I loved the gifts that were handmade the most. I never expected gifts and although I can remember a few gifts I really don’t remember who didn’t give me gifts.
Gift giving has gotten a little out of hand. I still use the what-we-can-afford and not what-everyone-else -is-doing as the measure.
The kids felt good doing and making this particular gift. Over the past few months we’ve had all different ideas. But with time on our tail we wanted something that was practical, useful and homemade.
I’d come across these pens in the States at offices when you needed to fill things out. For us that was inevitably the doctors office where we feel we lived with three children as well as any office we went to on the military installation. Before flower pens they must have lost so many! Also I made one during a MOPS session complete with pen holder. Mine lives in the car.
Per child
- one artificial flower ( We bought ours at Habitat) There were two flowers on one stem. Habitat is going out of business so we got a mega bargain.
- Floral tape
- Scissors
- Biro
Measure the artificial flower against the pen. Cut so the flower head shows and the base is near the bottom of the pen.
Start wrapping the tape around the pen and the stem of the flower so it overlaps. The MO watched me do a few wraps and was able to complete the whole thing himself. The BG (8) completed it all.
Smooth out the tape and adjust the stem/pen alignment. You may need extra tape at the bottom especially if you cut the end of the stem. check the pen holds well and no sharp edges.
Why a pen?
Teachers use a lot of pens all the time.
They’ll find your pen among all the pens.
Optional
* Add a spray of your favourite flower scent to the flower head or a few drops of essential oil. The boys chose this option.
To complete the gift
I interviewed the MO with some simple questions. He wrote the answers. ( 3-5 words each time around) Five questions, I think in total. I printed out the questions and we stuck his answer down and put the question on top so it was a lift the flap to see the answer. ( Should have taken a picture)
The BG wrote a letter to his teacher talking about the highlights of his year.
Both labeled them Thank You cards.
Would love to see your homemade teacher gifts
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July 13th, 2011
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Put together two things; paint and cars!
We had some left over paint so spread it onto a tray.
Using his favourite car he started with the lines on the tray.
 
Once he saw the paper he was excited to try there. We used quite a few pieces of paper.
This was one of those fun things we did last Summer that I just found on the camera. We did it at Grandma and Grandpa’s house where there was carpet under the table and a long walk to the sink.
(Yes, I was very nervous!)
Roll on the unstructured activities…… no aim in mind for this activity. He set his agenda and stopped.
Despite my fear all went well.
Other posts you may enjoy about painting from the Raising Playful Tots Index
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