Archive for the ‘Mommyhood’ Category
-
The Moms in School
I love the moms in my son’s school. I’ve stayed and waited for my son to finish classes several times and I noticed most of them are simple and look friendly. I haven’t had the chance to chit chat with them since most of them just drops their kids to school but I like how they can flash a smile to me without any hesitation. Some are in classy clothing, even wearing really nice Beadaholique beads jewelry like accessories but that impression of friendliness never escapes me. I am a very shy person and I am not really good in starting small talks but I get so comfy at his school because even if we are new there, teachers and even the moms look so down to earth. I wish to gain mommy friends soon, maybe in the next PTA meetings, I didn’t get to attend the first one since my son was recovering from his urinary tract infection. Well, I’m sure we will have along way to go with this school, we love it there.
-
Hard to Find Treasures for Kids
I love shopping for my son, as much as possible I always look for items for him online and mostly I find really nice treasures that are on sale when I browse on the internet. Mommies are like that, I guess, they always prioritize their kids even if it means you will buy 1 top for yourself and 5 for your child. Anyway, I have a friend who is on the way and we talked about so much baby stuff and since she also has an eldest daughter that she has to attend to, she find ways to give much attention to her before the second daughter comes. I told her about The Kinder Garden Store online and how it offers so much hard to find treasure from Baby Aspen Lollipop Loungewear for her baby to Guidecraft refrigerator for her eldest. They even have very distinguished collection of wooden toys that I want to get for my son plus so many educational stuff for growing kids. What I also love is their organic section for kids that maybe sensitive to so many things, I’m sure their parents will be very happy, I myself is also supporting of going organic all the way. I will surely hangout often in this store and save money to buy a few worthy stuff there. This is such a great online find for mommies like me.
-
My Almost 4-Year Old
I keep up to speed at Baby Center just to know tips and updates about my almost 4-year-old toddler.
And this is what I got today:
Your child may or may not know how to write his name. But you can prime the pump by letting him see his name in lots of places. Often 3-year-olds recognize the letters (or just the first letter) of their name. They can’t yet “read,” but this kind of symbol recognition is a key pre-reading skill.
Objects around the house decorated with your child’s name give him a thrill every time he “reads” them. You can buy puzzles with the letters of his name, for example, or put a nameplate on his door. These things also give him a sense of ownership and individuality.
Ask him to find things in the environment with his letter. Tad can find trees, trucks, and trains and Sarah can find socks, signs, and scissors.
-
The Different Teaching Methods in Early Childhood Education
I can’t believe that my son is going to preschool this coming school year. Any mother who has kids can relate to my feeling of joy, excitement and fear. But like what any mother will do, before enrolling my child to the school he is going to, I have researched the different teaching methods each school I have shortlisted and asked for feedback.
I have learned that different Preschool centers offer teaching methods.
1. Most schools use the Traditional Education method. This type of approach to learning is one that adheres to set standards. Testing and measuring the progress of a child’s learning is important in this kind of setting. There is a set curriculum that defines what is appropriate for a child to learn and to master at each grade level. Most of us grew up being educated in this type of method
2. There is also the Progressive Teaching Method. The progressive approach to teaching prides itself on having a student-centered learning environment. Schools that adhere to this type of style will often say that they allow children to learn through discovery or by doing.
3. The Montessori method of learning believes that each child has the propensity to learn. They learn from the things and the people in their environment. A teacher’s role is to create an environment that allows this innate curiosity to blossom.Preschool Dublin centers in Ireland like the Giraffe Childcare and Early Learning Center use the Montessori Way of Teaching. Giraffe Childcare & Early Learning Centre is Ireland’s leading provider of quality childcare and Early Years Education for Infants, Toddlers, Pre-school/Montessori and After School children.
-
Why threats backfire?
Going beyond threats for ages 3-4 toddlers. A very nice read from Baby Center, which I admit, I’m guilty of.
Why it happens
Sometimes an evil alien invades my body, pushing me to commit regrettable acts. I know this because last week I howled at my son Matthew: “If you don’t keep the cedar shavings off the floor, the hamsters will have to go!” This broke his heart. It did nothing to clean up the cedar shavings.
Like most parents, when I’m feeling powerless or exasperated, I sometimes pepper my two sons with threats. I picture Matthew’s room teeming with hamsters and sawdust, and my frustration erupts in cliches: Clean it up or…or…or else!There’s got to be a better way.
There is. Although threats may be one of the most frequently used weapons in your discipline arsenal, they’re hardly an effective or loving way to spur action or teach responsibility. Yet from time to time, we all fall back on threats, often absurd ones that leave us feeling foolish and the problem unresolved.
Getting out of the threat rut isn’t easy. There are some creative alternatives, though. When you find yourself tempted to tyrannize, these six strategies may help turn threatening moments into nurturing ones.
What to do
Give choices. The biggest problem with threats is that they tatter self-esteem and inspire fear or rebellion. “Threats are a message of distrust,” says Adele Faber, author of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk. “Your child hears, ‘You can’t be trusted to control yourself, so I’m going to control you.’”
Giving choices, on the other hand, puts your preschooler in charge, preventing fruitless and stressful stalemates. Instead of saying, “If you hit me once more, I’ll take those drumsticks away,” say, “Hey, I don’t like having my head hit. So would you rather drum on the steps or on the floor?” Participating in this type of decision-making teaches her to think for herself and to assume responsibility for her actions. Talk to your preschooler and say, “We have a problem. How can we solve it?” That way, the situation becomes you and your preschooler against a problem, instead of you against your preschooler.
Julie King of San Francisco frequently involves her 4-year-old son, Asher, in making choices and seeking solutions. She recalls one morning when she was desperate to shower while her younger son, 6-month-old Rashi, napped. But Asher was revved up for a game of catch. After acknowledging her son’s desire for a game, King told him that she really needed a shower and then asked him: “What shall we do?’ Asher got the point. “I know,” he said. “I’ll listen to my cassette tapes.” The result: Mom got her shower and Asher got to help with a tricky problem.
Follow through. Another drawback of using threats is that they’re often too extreme or inconvenient and therefore impossible to execute. “If you can’t follow through,” says St. Louis family therapist Evonne Weinhaus, coauthor of Stop Struggling With Your Child, “you’re going to appear spineless, and your kid will trample you.”
Suppose that night after night your preschooler can’t tear herself away from her building blocks to join you for dinner, despite repeated requests. Finally you snap, “If you’re late for dinner again, I’m going to throw the blocks away!” Chances are she won’t take you seriously, and the nightly struggle will continue unabated. Instead, change your behavior. Calmly say: “It’s time to put your blocks away now.” Then help her do it. Read the rest of this entry »
-
My 3 Year Old Now
Well, still reading Baby Center religiously. As much as I want to be in communication with my son’s doctor, life is busy and this site really helps me in keeping track of our son’s development. To date, he is okay, some developments I think he is late but some he is on track so I guess this is alright. Anyway here is how he should be according to Baby Center this week…
“When are we going?”
“Tomorrow,” you answer.
Five minutes later, your preschooler asks. “Are we going yet?”
Children vary widely in how well they grasp time. At 3, your child may understand sequence (he did it first or last) and how long something takes (a long or short time). But concepts like the past (yesterday) and the future (tomorrow) can be murkier.
One way to help: Do a play-by-play of his day for him: “This morning we went to the park. Then we got ice cream. Later, before bed, we’ll read a book.” Or “Tomorrow we’re going to see Uncle Mike.” The more you refer to time in his everyday world, the more he’ll grasp. Though it doesn’t hurt to use actual time references (at 6:30, in 20 minutes) to help your child begin to understand time, he doesn’t have the skills yet for this kind of math. That’s why simpler references can be easier for a preschooler to relate to.
Your child is ready to understand days of the week, so mention them whenever you get a chance. For example, remind him that on weekends, Saturday and Sunday, there’s no school or work. Or maybe that Monday is the day he goes to preschool.
-
My Little Helper
My son loves to help out especially in the bedroom and in the garage, which of course is not a surprise since he loves cars. Anyway, every night he fixes the pillows and declares, “Yook Mommy, I’m helping you, I’m fixing the pillows”, he proudly does it very well, he puts everything in their proper places. He sometimes loves organizing his table but that doesn’t happen very often, only when he is not busy playing or watching a movie that he recognizes that his table is messy but I don’t mind, I know when he grows up he will be like his dad, who is always ready to give a helping hand.
Anyway, here is my son’s update according to Baby Center:
Your 3-year-old now:
Three-year-olds are eager helpers. Everything — even household chores — looks like fun, especially if you’re doing it. While you may not want your preschooler to help you chop vegetables, she’s more than ready to start doing simple tasks around the house. So take advantage of her enthusiasm before she stops offering.Sure, it’ll take time and effort to teach your child how to make her bed, sweep, and water the plants, and you’ll probably have to lower your standards for a while. But you’ll have huge payoffs down the road. Children who do chores learn responsibility, get satisfaction from a job well done, and contribute to the household, which makes them feel like they’re part of the team. Plus, they learn valuable skills along the way. If the job isn’t being done to your standards, let it go if it doesn’t really matter (wrinkled bedcovers, for example). Or say, “Let’s do it together!” and give your child the lead, following up as needed.
Start with simple tasks: Setting the table, picking up toys, gathering the wastebaskets. Think about what would make these jobs more manageable: If you label toy bins with pictures of what goes inside, your child knows exactly where everything belongs. Plus, as Mary Poppins, Snow White, and Barney knew, music can make the job more fun. (If you can’t whistle while you work, you can hum a few bars of “The Clean Up Song.”) Since your child’s attention span is short, set the timer for five or ten minutes and clean together in short bursts.
Howdy!
Categories
