Saturday, October 8, 2011

Our Philosophy

I firmly believe that almost anything we do in our everyday lives can provide an educational developmental experience for our children. In those first few years of their lives, our kids are constantly growing and changing, and their brains are rapidly developing. As parents, we are in a great position to offer them opportunities for their brains to form vital nerve network connections through sensory experiences, intellectual activities and even muscle movements.
Don't underestimate the value of including your child in your everyday tasks. Talk to them about what you're doing, and don't dumb it down - using your normal vocabulary will help your child to comprehend a wider variety of words at an earlier age and will in turn teach them how to communicate well. A friend of mine recently included her daughter in the process of writing her shopping list; she set her little girl up in her highchair with paper and a pencil whilst she wrote her own list own. Her daughter loved it! Such a simple way to include your kids, and so effective!
Eden loves to take dry washing off the clothes horse and put it into the laundry basket for me. She follows me when I sweep or vaccuum with her own broom and vaccuum cleaner (toy ones, of course), and I hand her a clean Chux cloth when I'm wiping down benches or tables.
Sometimes, when we do the groceries, she walks with me instead of sitting in the trolley, and hands me things on our list. She puts fruit and veg into the little bags, and helps me choose the meat. She hands the checkout chick our money and takes the change. This is extremely time consuming, often doubling the time it takes to do a shop, but so rewarding and beneficial for her.
So, here is a challenge for you: find a new way to include your child in your day-to-day activities. If you're feeling brave, let your toddler help you do the groceries! Allow plenty of time though. Good luck, let me know how you go!

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