July 07, 2007
The Whole Child e-zine brings you free preschool activities each week to maximize your child's potential, build skills and parent-child relationships in just a few minutes per day. Useful tips, quotes, resources, opportunities and articles will added for extra value!
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06 July 2007, Issue #040
1. Hello from Shirley
Have you hugged your child today?
A few years ago this was a bumper sticker to promote an anti-child abuse campaign, but just recently I used it to assess whether I am showing enough physical affection to my family.
I am not a "huggy" person by nature (still figuring out why) yet I know that my husband and my kids need me to show them my love and affection in that way....and yours do too.
So I ask you - have you hugged your child today?
Children need to be saturated with love and reassurance from their parents constantly. To them it will never be cliche if you constantly tell them and show them that they are precious to you.
Don't assume that because you do love your children, that they automatically know it.
They need endless hugs, kisses, cuddles, pats, tickles, tousles, high fives and touches that tell them that you adore them.
When their 'love tanks' are full they can develop healthy little personalities that are well-adjusted and self-confident.
In our home to ensure that our little ones can get regular physical affection, we have facilitated it by:
- 1. allowing the children to climb into bed with us in the early mornings if they wake before we get up. Our room is not a 'holy sanctuary' reserved for adult intimacy! We have a king-sized bed to accommodate lots of cuddling! Even our nine year old still comes for an occasional morning cuddle.
- 2. creating bed time rituals - the children have to go and say good-night to their dad, who is usually in his study. This involves a hug, a handshake and a little finger-wrestle that they have developed. Then I usually tuck them up or at least hug them and kiss them after we have prayed together or individually.
- 3. comforting an injured child - if anyone is hurt during the day, they can come for comfort a hug and an "I'm sorry you got hurt," from me - another opportunity for meaningful touch.
- 4. playing physically - dad likes to romp with them often as well and
- I try to take advantage of any other opportunities to convey affection to them too, like cuddling up together on the couch or the bed while we read aloud.
How 'bout you?
2. What’s New at Shirley’s Preschool Activities?
I have added a page of skills and activities to begin with children to prepare them for Learning to Tell the Time.
You can also see which pages of my site I have worked on or updated recently by visiting my site blog.
At the moment, amongst others, it features some Fall Preschool Activities, for the new school year after the summer.
3. Preschool Egroup
Lately on our preschool egroup we have had some interesting discussions about how to discipline kids, how to handle spitting, how to handle the influence of TV on children and potty training.
Come and join us ask questions or share your views and experiences. We're learning together!
If you haven’t yet joined and would like to, send a blank email to preschool-activities-at-home-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
4.Tips
4.1 I recently read a homeschooling forum thread about homeschooling with a newborn. As you probably know, I had my 5th baby in April. When I first contemplated homeschooling my stepdaughter 10 years ago, this was one of my questions. Could I homeschool if or when I had a baby?
Well, as soon as I started I fell pregnant with my first baby, so I soon learned that the answer is "YES".
Here is a great article on this topic - The Baby IS the Lesson, the author says!
4.2 Don't quite know how to structure your preschoolers day or how much formal learning s/he should be doing? Relax and take it easy - at this age, less is best.
For age appropriate activities for children of 3-6 take a look at ABC Fun & 1-2-3
5. Quote
"Homeschool life should help parents do the daily necessities, rather than usurp the time needed for them."
Diane Hopkins, homeschool mom
6. Book Reviews
You will find my favourite parenting or teaching books that I recommend at Shirley's Store on my site.
Last month I recommended Stories for the Children's Hour by Kenneth N. Taylor and Celebrations of Faith by Randy Wilson
This month's recommendation is a good one related to the topic of hugging your child and expressing love:
The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
This book discusses ways in which people express and perceive love differently. If you want to make sure that your child is getting the message of love that you are trying to convey, it will help if you know his or her primary love language and how to use it effectively. The Five Love Languages for Children is also available in SA from Kalahari.net
For those who are not great readers, you can also order it on audio CD or audio-casette.
6. Readiness Activities
The following activities are aimed at ages 2-3. For older children, adapt the activity to their ability or alternatively repeat the activities previously suggested for ages 3-5 in the Backissues of The Whole Child publication.
To download the activities in a printable pdf, click here.
You will need to have Adobe Reader installed. Its a free download.
Repeat these activities often - with your own variations too!
July
1. Gross motor skills
Encourage your child to roll across the floor and back again. This develops body awareness and co-ordination of major muscle groups.
2. Fine motor skills
Eye-hand co-ordination, manual dexterity: Let your child draw with chalk on a blackboard, preferably one standing upright. Encourage her to draw a circle starting at the two-o-clock position and moving anti-clockwise.
3. Visual skills
Visual discrimination, colour perception: Place a red, a yellow and a blue object (like blocks or shapes) in front of your child. Hand him another of one of those colours and ask him to place it on top of the shape that is the same colour as the one you have given to him. Repeat the game with the other two colours.
4. Auditory skills
Auditory discrimination: To help your child learn to recognize voices, use a tape recorder to record conversations when familiar friends or relatives visit. Play the tape back to your child later and ask her to identify the voices.
5. Mathematical skills
Dimensions: Cut two each of large, medium and small square pieces of card or paper. Place one of each size on a table and ask your child to match the remaining three with the right sized one on the table. Teach him the words, “small”, “medium” and “large”/“big”.
6. Language skills
Active Language Development: Cut a full-length picture of a male and a female from a magazine. Use them to ask your child questions that will require her to use pronouns like “you”, “me”, “she”, “him” etc. For example ask, “Which of us are wearing a dress?” “Which one is wearing a suit?” Emphasize the pronouns during this activity.
7. Faith-building
Each night when you tuck your child into bed, tell her that you love her and that JESUS loves her too. Even if she can’t see Him, she can know that He loves her. God uses parents to show children His love.
Bible Reading: Continue with your Bible reading and prayers as part of your bed-time routine. My little ones have enjoyed reading The Beginner's Bible
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