parenting peacefully since 2006

Posts Tagged ‘toddler

10 Mar, 2010

watercolour painting

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

Nikki asked to paint, so I set her and Michael loose with the watercolours.
 
 
Nikki also painted the reverse of that same page.
 
 
Her current style could be called 'saturation.'
 
 

05 Mar, 2010

jam session

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

 
Percussion instruments are all the go in our house!
 
 
Ben asked if I initiated the jam session. Not at all - my only contribution was getting down on the floor and pressing the "record" button. Nikki and Michael set up the instruments and began playing on their own. They just love music!

03 Mar, 2010

Michael Foreman’s Nursery Rhymes

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

Nursery rhymes are "the bottom-most layer of the comfortable hereditary clutter of mottoes, proverbs, and half-remembered tales that we use to ornament conversations throughout our lives, knowing that they are common currency." - Iona Oprie
 
Michael Foreman's Nursery Rhymes was a fabulous find on our latest trip to the library.
 
 
Nikki adores the funny sayings and memorable incidents recorded throughout. Michael enjoys the visual humor, for instance a rat shown walking from one relevant rhyme to another on the next page.
 
Nikki happily recites the rhymes for Michael, as in the video below.
 
 
She is also beginning to create scenarios of her own with the characters.
 
 
Fun-loving children + a book of silly rhymes = good times.
 

24 Feb, 2010

reading together

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

Nikki and Michael thoroughly enjoy the Rebecca Johnson / Steve Parish books Kent and Loni brought when they visited.
 
 
But mostly I took this picture so you could see Nikki's groovy trousers!

22 Feb, 2010

memorizing catechism

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

 
We just finished the fifth week of our homeschooling journey, which we have begun with catechism memorization. Nikki and Michael both enjoy it and I think the Catechism for Young Children in particular does a great job of (a) breaking down complex doctrine into understandable pieces and (b) satisfying the endless curiosity of preschoolers and toddlers. The question and answer format is a natural learning style for curious littlies.
 
We have our lessons during lunch or immediately after, with Vi on my back in a baby carrier most days.
 
To begin, I open Starr Meade's book, Training Hearts, Teaching Minds and ask each of the questions we've studied to date. Nikki knows the answers so this is a review. Here is a video of her answering the first four questions of the Shorter Catechism in Modern English:
 
 
I then read the current week's question and answer several times. After that, I read the paragraph for that day (there are six short lessons, one each for Monday through Saturday). If things are going well, I will read two day's worth of lessons, because we don't homeschool on Saturdays, and usually there will be one or two weekdays where Vi needs extra attention or something else comes up.
 
Each of the daily lessons contains several Bible references to look up. As I was searching for a verse today, Nikki asked me, "Mama, what will happen when I can read?" Then she answered her own question, "I will be able to look up verses in the Bible!"
 
Following the paragraph lesson, I read the current week's question and answer two or three more times. Then I pull out the Catechism for Young Children and start at the top. Nikki has it memorized up through question 21, and Michael knows the answers to the first three questions. You can hear him in this video:
 
 
Recently I have been able to answer some of Nikki's questions about God or sin with catechism answers that she already knows. It's fantastic to see her fit the pieces into place, and it makes my job easier to have answers ready to give.

19 Feb, 2010

sharing

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

 
 
 

12 Feb, 2010

at least he gave it a try

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

This afternoon Nikki asked for macaroni and cheese, but there was no blue box in the house. I grabbed the opportunity to try Auntie Leila's Easy Mac and Cheese recipe.
 
While cooking, I remembered the advice not to let my helpers taste any of the grated cheese prior to mixing it into our shells. Tasting the plain grated cheese makes the final cheese mixture seem less cheesy, and we didn't want that!
 
 
After stirring all the ingredients together, I served Nikki, Michael, and myself each a bowl of cheesy noodles.
 
 
Nikki and I enjoyed the pasta. The light-coloured sauce reminded me both in colour and flavour of Kraft White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. However, after his fifth bowl, Michael said he didn't like it.
 
 
What do you think? Should I try a different recipe next time?

07 Feb, 2010

Sunday sunshine :: Point Walter

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

Michael enjoyed exploring the sand bar at Point Walter the day before his second birthday.
 
          
 
          

29 Jan, 2010

five minutes with Michael

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

After Nikki's recent photo shoot, Megan challenged me to do the same for the other kids. So I chased Michael around a bit this morning. Allow me to present:
 
'Singing'
 
 
'Petting'
 
 
'Spinning', and
 
 
'Hiding'
 
Four completely different activities in five minutes? Oh yes! Life with Michael is never dull.
Tags:

21 Jan, 2010

“you need to talk to him about it”

Posted by: blissfule In: Perth

 
For some reason, when our scooter is upside down, it's a sailboat.
 
When Skipper Nikki decided that her passenger was creating too much drag to get where she wanted to go, she wasn't happy. She whined. She made angry sounds. And then she complained to me.
 
I told her that she needed to talk to Michael about it.
 
She asked Michael to "get off, please" and he complied immediately. (If he hadn't, I would have counseled Nikki to wait or think of something else to do.)
 
This approach of encouraging my children to resolve their disputes prevents me from having to take sides. All I have to do is to encourage, and when necessary enforce, politeness.
 
It is never too early to learn to articulate our desires in a positive manner, and to be assertive, rather than aggressive or passive.
 
If you haven't tried this parenting shortcut already, I highly recommend turning the tables when you're asked to intervene.
 
How do you deal with sibling/friend squabbles?

about

Blissful E is about parenting peacefully, sustainably, joyfully, and with a view toward maximizing long-term benefits for the entire family.
 
I believe that the more wisely we invest in the early years of our children's lives, the greater the benefits for us and them as they grow.
 
Look around, share your thoughts, and grow with us!

explore the archives

Related Posts Widget for Blogs by LinkWithin