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March 2008, Issue #050

Parental 'Action Points'

1. Hello from Shirley

As always, life is busy when you have 8 people in a tiny household. The baby can now climb and wants to be “everywhere” as does the teen, except that her "everywhere" is not just two feet away but requires my wheels to get her there!

We have had further big changes in our family as my husband is in the Philippines for 7 weeks to attend a training course. Thanks to modern technology we are able to video-chat everyday, but life for me has been busier than usual. (I feel like I say that every month!)

A welcome to all the new subscribers. I hope you will find encouragement or something useful in this ezine.

2. Take a look at Shirley's Preschool Activities

Progress is slow on my site at the moment. Sometimes I have moments when I feel I should work on it more, like I used to – but then I remind myself that I have made a decision to spend more time with my children. This is their only childhood and I don’t want to miss it!

[My preschool site is now in its third year and earns me more than most middle income working moms earn every month. Interested? Quickly download and read The Work At Home Moms Master Course This could work for you too.]

Despite our hectic month, I did add a new activity, after creating a Handprint Ostrich Poster with my daughter Kayleigh (5) while we were doing a South African Preschool Theme.

Here are other themes to look out for at this time of the year

22 April:Earth Day

13 May: Mothers’ Day

Spring Special from Site Build It: Click on the banner below for more info!

3. Tips

Establish a new ACTION POINT.

Do you ever find yourself getting flustered, irritable or angry before your children spring to action and obey you? Do your children only obey when they know that consequences will follow shortly if they don’t act NOW?

If you want to break out of the cycle of your children only obeying when you are angry, you need to establish what can be termed a new ‘action point’. This is a new cue, which will convey to your children that they better respond NOW or the consequences will follow (but without any anger on your part).

You will first need to sit your children down and EXPLAIN to them how the new cue will work, what you expect from them and how you will move directly to implementing consequences if they do not act on cue. Don’t change the rules of the game, without telling them first!

For instance, you can make your child look you in the eye and you lower your tone of voice and speak slowly. You could have a hand sign that signals that its time to obey. You can even tell the children that this is the ‘action point’. It may take some practice for both you and them, but it will be worth it. Nobody likes angry, out of control parents or children that are slow to obey or downright disobedient!

For more parenting tips read: 8 Goals for Preschool Training

4. ABC Fun & 1-2-3

ABC Fun & 1-2-3 - a preschool activity book that offers age-appropriate learning activities intended to gently stimulate children and make planning easy for busy moms (and teachers).

ABC Fun & 1-2-3 eliminates the need to spend time searching for suitable, age-appropriate preschool activities. Instead you can spend more time with your children, doing the things you love! In just a few minutes, you could have ABC Fun & 1-2-3 at your fingertips, ready to start using with your children TODAY!

Weekly Preschool Lessons Plans in ABC Fun

For under $1 per week you will receive in ebook format, 26 weekly lesson plans which each include the following preschool activities:

"...Your book has been a prayer answered - your suggested programme fits our lifestyle / current routine just about perfectly. I was desperate for something, other than seat work, for my curious little girl - and you've thought of everything to inspire her without the rigidity of school. Many many thanks!

(Sarah, Mummy to Emma 6, Rebekah 3, and Jessie 3mo - South Africa) "

5. 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. It's a free download. Repeat these activities often - with your own variations too!

March

1. Gross motor skills

Balance: Hold your child by the hands and have fun jumping up and down and around and around together. Change directions too.

2. Fine motor skills

Manual dexterity: Draw the outline of a simple shape on a page, like a large flower, a fish, a tree, a truck etc. Let you child tear up a page from a magazine into small pieces and glue them onto the picture using a glue stick. Guide him so that he ‘colours in’ the shape using the shredded paper.

Alternatively, just let your child tear strips of paper – it is a great activity for developing and strengthening little fingers!

3. Visual skills

Visual analysis and synthesis: Cut a picture at least of at least half a page from a magazine. Talk about it with your child, then cut it in half and let her place the pieces together again. Cut the pieces in half again and repeat the game.

4. Auditory skills

Auditory memory: Read or tell your child a short story and then ask him easy questions about the most important aspects of the story.

Read more about Preschool Reading Skills

5. Mathematical skills

Numerical conceptualising: Let your child play “one for me, one for you” as she shares raisins, nuts, cereal flakes or candy with you.

6. Language skills

Active language development: Make sentences to teach your child opposites. For example:

After a while, you can leave out the last opposite and let your child complete the sentence for you.

7. Faith-building

Teach your child easy songs of praise or enjoy listening to child-friendly worship music together. Encourage your child to express his praise in appropriate ways like dancing, raising hands, clapping or playing of instruments along with the music.


Greetings until next month
Shirley
About Shirley

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