Tuesday 22 January 2013

Minding a toddler

I admit...I still haven't got my head around how to manage all the children simultaneously needing attention.  And I only have three!  Today, I felt pulled away from focusing attention on the older children by the force known as Astrin.  From putting crayons in her mouth, to using said crayons to draw on the table, to repeatedly redirecting her other activities, I felt spent after an hour. 

What have I done so far to keep my littlest one happily occupied?  Colouring is the main activity that seems to keep her happy.  I wonder how many times I can go to the well with that one before it gets old.  We've also experimented with various toys, like block sorters, wooden blocks, building train tracks, and Lego.

Tonight, I find myself scouring the internet for tips.  It's interesting that finding just a couple of doable tips can inspire some of my own ideas.  Here are some that I plan to try:

  ~ providing a small stack of books for Astrin to flip through and read to us.
  ~ seeing what happens when I set up a small, Astrin-sized table for her to do her work and play at.
  ~ having a stack of sewing cards or a bag with beads and pipe cleaners handy.
  ~ plunging into the world of messy by having a bag of mixed-media items (pictures from cards, yarn, buttons, feathers, etc.), a glue stick and sturdy paper for art beyond the crayon).  Well, maybe not buttons - they'll likely end up in her mouth.  But you get the idea. 
  ~ adding watercolours to the mix of art supplies.

And where did I find such inspiration?  Here are a few sites I checked out:

  ~ Simple Homeschool
  ~ Se7en
  ~ The Happy Housewife

I'll also be perusing my copy of Teaching Montessori in the Home for other ideas of items we can make that are provide her with basic learning and keep her little hands busy.

What are your favorite toddler tips?

No comments:

Post a Comment