Thank you to all who have been reading and following along with our daily tips! Thank you also to all who have taken the time to write, like or share and let us know how helpful they have been during this time! We can't believe we've been writing for 44 days and you have all encouraged us to keep writing! Our outstanding Early Childhood Matters team met last week via Zoom and came up with some ideas to make our tips hopefully even more helpful! Our parenting tips will have a focus for the week, and our indoor activities will hit on one curriculum area each day e.g. literacy, science/math, art/music/dramatic play, fine motor and gross motor! Our parenting focus this week will be increasing independence in your child-something we could all use a little more of these days! Please continue to support ECM and read, like and share with your friends, co-workers, preschools, etc.! Also please post any pictures of activities that have inspired us and tag us at #ECMtipsoftheday on Facebook or email them to kellam@earlychildhoodmatters.org.
SELF-LOVE: When you wake up, think of one tiny task that you want to accomplish for the day. Maybe something has been bugging you, like cleaning out one small drawer or arranging the coats on their hooks. It’s amazing how accomplishing one small task on a short to do list can make you feel more productive and proud of yourself. It will help dissipate any feelings of overwhelm you might have about household tasks.
PARENTING TIP: Increasing Independence Take One: Siblings Fighting! Try to think of their fighting in three stages as Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlisch teach in Siblings without Rivalry. The first stage is bickering which you should ignore. The second stage is intensified and you can support but allow them to ultimately work out. Step in and try to acknowledge both perspectives, after they have both felt heard and have calmed down a bit, tell them you trust them to come up with a solution and LEAVE (this is the hard part!). The third stage is where any hitting or hurting has occurred and you will need to separate them until they are ready to come up with a solution. The key in all three scenarios is that they are coming up with the solutions and you are not getting locked into the role of judge, jury, and adjudicator.
INDOOR ACTIVITY: Curriculum Area of the Day: Fine Motor: Cereal Stacking: You need a small ball of Playdough. Stick a piece of raw spaghetti in it. Have child stack Cheerios onto the spaghetti, one little piece at time. (Inspired by Lisa Murphy "the Ooey Gooey Lady," who I learned this from many years ago!). You can also use dry spaghetti and a a colander if you don't have any Cheerios.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITY: Using pots turned on their side, set up a mini-golf course for your child. You can use a stick and any sized ball that will fit in the pots! You can also get creative with ramps and tunnels for the balls to make it through!