Like the rest of the country, Practically Speaking will be taking a holiday break! Our blog will remain accessible, but we will not be posting any new articles until the 14th of January 2011. We will be sure to send a mail to everyone again in the New Year as our first article goes up.
In the four-and-a-half short months that this blog has been running, we've been so proud to have touched thousands of lives, and from the wonderful comments we've received, we are blessed to know that we are making a difference.
We wish all our readers out there a truly safe and joyous Festive Season - filled with family, laughter, learning, growth, thanks-giving, and most of all... Love.
See you next year!
Lizette and Loren
Maintaining a Sense of Routine in the Holidays
 |
| Image: Loren Stow http://www.lorenstow.co.za/ |
Whatever your plans this holiday, it is a given is that your normal routine will most likely be affected in some way. Children are home from school and creche, carers and nanny's are also away on their own vacations, there may be day-trips, weeks away, and a whole lot of busy-ness...
Just how important are routines and can you ensure that they are nurtured?
For young children, routines are incredibly important. They create feelings of safety and being grounded in an ever-changing world (even more relevant when holidays roll around and their day-to-day life changes completely for a few weeks). In addition, young children actually look forward to their routines and enjoy them immensely.
So, how can you ensure that your children don't feel lost or insecure at a time when routines may be difficult or just plain impossible to follow?
The good news is that routines are not as 'time-based' or 'location-based' as parents think - as adults we usually relate the word 'routine' to a time-table and a certain place. While being three hours late for lunch or expecting our children to eat their lunch in the car would be a bit of push... doing lunch 30 minutes early or late, at a Wimpy en route to your holiday at the sea doesn't have to stray too far from the routine at all...
You see, this is because children do not see routine as a time-table. They see routine as the sequence of activities before, during and after an event. If you wash hands and say grace before every meal, talk about your favourite part of the day during the meal, and then wait for everyone to be finished with the meal before you clear the table, then this is the sequence of events that need to be applied at closely as possible no matter where you are.
The idea is that simply because you are in another location, or you're not perfectly 'on-time', does not mean that you cannot still apply the sequence of events that creates a sense of routine for your child.
Another example is if you usually read the same bedtime story every night and then blow out a candle just before saying good night - when you pack for a holiday away remember to take the book and candle with you, so that you can continue with the routine no matter where you are and even if your little one stays up a little past bedtime.
If you have overnight guests or are entertaining, you may need to shorten the individual steps (read one book instead of three at bedtime). You can also involve other family members, like grandparents, who are willing to help and want to deepen their relationship with your little one. Give them what they need and a little run-down of what needs to be done. You never know, your little one might be thrilled by this! The important thing is to stick to the basic routine.
So, in order to ensure that you keep your little one's routines going strong, take the time to look at their day and note the special sequences around events such as waking time, eating time, play time, bath time and bedtime. What is the pattern that you follow and are there any special props (such as a special towel, a bowl and spoon, a candle or book)? Make sure you make space for these things in your child's day, no matter where you are and what you're doing.
On the topic of routines, we thought we would share some special routine ideas that we've come across, that perhaps you apply in your little one's life...
Bedtime
A Practica Parent shared how he sends his little one off to dreamland every night, simply using a plastic glass with a glitter detail. He switches off the light and puts a torch under the glass, illuminating all the wonderful glitter. His daughter takes a sip of the 'magic water' just before going to sleep to help her off to wonderland...
Early Morning
Why not have a 'rise and shine' song that you sing with your little one just before getting out of bed. This song signals the start of a wonderful new day. "Hi ho, hi ho, its off to work we go..."
Cleaning Up
Using the magic of song again, why not sing while you pack away toys? "This is the way we pack our toys, pack our toys, pack our toys... this is the way we pack our toys, every single night..."
Welcome Home
When transitioning from a day out back to being at home, why not have a routine where everyone gets a drink and sits down to relax and unwind for five minutes before getting busy with the next thing on the list?
Meal Time
Setting the table (whether alone or just assisting) is a great way to incorporate routine in mealtimes. Another routine, as mentioned above, is washing hands, saying grace and sharing stories during meal time.
Hygiene
It's sometimes difficult for children to know how long to brush their teeth for, so you could use an egg timer or even sing a song, and your children know to brush their teeth for this whole time before rinsing. At bath time, my children choose which toys they want to play with in the bath - they have a basket filled with toys and throw their favourites in the running water with much 'hoopla' and joy!
Leaving Routine
It's often difficult for little ones to transition between activities, like shopping, visiting a friend, being on the beach or watching television. It helps immensely to have a routine where you ask your child to say goodbye and wave. In this way they understand that they are finishing with one thing and moving to the next.
Holiday Routine
Lizette describes how, as a preschooler, on family holidays to the beach, her father would always rinse her feet of all the sand under the tap and then carry her back to their cottage - to this day she remembers how that felt and that she looked forward to that little routine almost as much as playing in the sand and sea. Why not create a little everyday routine that is especially for your holiday?
Back to School
For older children, it may help them to feel excited about returning to school if you try to remember all their classmate's names and think of one positive sentence about each one. This shows that you care about their world at school and that they have something to look forward to after every holiday.
We hope that your family's holiday is safe and filled with love and that you find a way to maintain (or even introduce new) routines in your little one's life. These routines cannot be underestimated for their value in creating security, fostering excitement and building long-lasting memories.
Words: Loren Stow
when we know better... we do better
Comment or a special routine you'd like to share? Email lizette@practicaprogram.co.za
If you would like to be notified of all new posts via email, please send an email to lizette@practicaprogram.co.za
Choosing the best toys this Festive Season!
 |
| Image: Loren Stow http://www.lorenstow.co.za/ |
I remember last Christmas, when my mother asked what she should buy for my son, and I wasn't really even sure. In fact, I would often buy toys that I
liked that wouldn't even win more than a casual glance from my little boy...
What I learned quickly was that I needed to understand what my son would be interested in, based on his developmental level - otherwise I was just wasting my hard-earned money!
So, I believe that if I've been confused at times, then there must be other parents out there who don't have the foggiest clue as to what to buy for the little people in their lives. So they opt for something flashy, maybe with batteries, some lights and tune or two... a kind of stab in the dark... only to be disappointed with their little ones hardly pay the toy any attention.
In addition to choosing the right toy for the right age, we can sometimes become sidetracked by the sheer magnitude of the Festive Season and forget the real meaning of toys when it comes to children. Play is one of the most important areas of development, shaping the way in which our little ones explore, pretend and share, to name but a few of the skills they acquire from the toys which they are given.
Santa's Toy List:
0-9 months
* Wind chimes make beautiful sounds to listen to.
* Mobiles to look at, especially those with bright high contrasting.
* Cuddly toys – woolly, furry, cloth, plastic, even a combination of different textures.
* Music boxes and CD’s of simple nursery rhymes, classical music, and children’s songs (check music boxes to make sure they’re not off key).
* Rattles, shakers and teethers to pick up, grasp and shake.
* A non-glass mirror.
* An activity gym with dangling objects.
* Plastic squeeze toys.
* Vinyl or cloth books.
* Roly-poly toys (round-bottomed figures that can be pushed over, but bounce back up).
9-12 months
* A door swing.
* Nesting blocks, stacking toys, and stacking rings.
* Push-me-pull-me toys.
* Toys with large popping beads / toys with pop-up parts that are easily activated by pushing a button (Children at this stage like to make things happen – they like to push a button and hear a song, or have a bird pop out of the window etc.)
* Bath toys, including toys that float and bubbles to pop.
* Board books.
* Balls (they now prefer neon colours).
* Musical instruments (drums, shakers, tambourines, xylophones).
* Take-apart toys with large pieces.
* A rag doll with embroidered eyes.
12-18 months
* Walking toys like a walker with a handle for pushing, shopping carts, baby carriages etc.
* Toys large enough to sit on like scooters or animal hoppers, and toys to sit in like a play tent.
* Soft dolls and stuffed animals.
* Balls of all sizes, including a soccer-sized ball and a larger inflatable beach ball.
* Music to listen to, participate in and move to.
* A shape sorter (the drop-in kind).
* Wooden blocks.
* A toy broom, dust pan and cloth.
* Medium sized toy truck and car.
* Nursery rhyme and picture books (go for a book with simple pictures and one sentence on a page).
18-24 months
* Dress-up and pretend items – hats, mom and dad’s old shoes, plastic houses and people, dolls, cars and trucks.
* Mallet and peg toys (pounding bench with large pegs in holes that are ‘hammered’ with a mallet made of wood or rubber).
* Wood, cloth and plastic animals of a good size.
* Toy phone.
* Indoor and outdoor swing.
* Sand box, sand toys, digging toys and a bucket.
* Balls and bean bags of all sizes.
* Simple puzzles (with 2-4 large sized pieces).
* Crayons and large sheets of paper.
* Music and children’s books with lots of rhyme and repetition.
2 years
* Housekeeping equipment (broom, toy dishes, tea-sets, cooking utensils, dolls and dolls equipment, washing and ironing toys, child-size table and chairs).
* Egg beater (held with one hand and turned with the other – not battery operated).
* Inflatable pool and water-play toys, and a sandpit and sand-play toys.
* Cars, large tipping truck and train (train with tracks from 2½ years).
* Low rocking horse or a tricycle (most use pedals from 2½ years).
* Play work bench with tools (kiddie’s screwdriver and wooden hammer).
* Small playground equipment for sliding and climbing.
* CD’s to listen to and simple musical toys like a drum, chimes or cymbal.
* Baby construction toys with large pieces to stack and or fit together / laces and beads to string / 6-8 piece inlay puzzles to put together.
* Children’s books with lots of rhyme and repetition.
3 years
All of the 2 year old favourites plus:
* Craft equipment (finger paint, beginner’s brush, paper, poster paints, glue, blunt scissors and construction paper; but no fill-in, tracing or paint-by-number art).
* Play dough with cookie cutters and rolling pin etc.
* Imaginary settings e.g. a town or castle with plastic figurines of humans and animals (not too small in size).
* A child’s CD player or an instrument to experiment with (e.g. a xylophone that is tuned).
* Push and pull vehicles (also maybe a sled on 2 small wheels).
* Dress-up dolls (with clothes that have buttons and zips) and dress-up clothes (mom and dad’s old clothes in a trunk).
* Beginner’s board games and picture Lotto’s (matching pictures).
* Full size playground equipment.
* Story books and fairy tales (to be read to).
* Simple number and letter toys.
4 years
All of the 3 year old favourites plus:
* Puppets and puppet theatre.
* Toys that involve eye-hand coordination, e.g. shooting a play arrow at a target, darts with rounded tips, shooting at a target with a water gun, tossing bean bags into containers or onto targets.
* Make believe kits for imaginary play, e.g. nurse and doctor kit; play-store equipment; hammer, carpet tacks and wooden board for setting up a play factory; typical office equipment to set up a ‘day at work’.
* Blackboard and chalk (buy a smooth masonite door from a hardware store and paint it with blackboard paint to create a huge blackboard – every child’s dream).
* Kiddie’s gardening tools and small plants that require little care.
* A see-saw.
* Equipment like a back-pack, ‘gogga’-box and magnifying glass for nature trips.
* Dominoes, board and card games like ‘snap’.
* Construction sets with smaller pieces / construction sets that work with magnets.
* CD’s of various kinds of music (children’s, classical, etc.) and lots of story books and fairy tales (to be read to).
Note: This is the age at which fads begin, so be sure to ask what they are collecting. If they are mad for dinosaurs they may be disappointed if the toy that you buy has another theme.)
5 years
All of the 3 and 4 year old favourites plus:
* Child-sized sports equipment that involve more skill, e.g. shooting a ball through a hoop / roller skates.
* Large doll’s pram and equipment / Barbie-style dolls with clothes and furniture.
* Craft equipment including stencils / adhesive tape and paper for three-dimensional construction.
* Regular screwdriver and large screws, nuts and bolts.
* Puzzles (most enjoy 20-25 pieces, many manage 50).
* Snakes and Ladders and other simple family games.
* Shadow puppets (playing with shadows against a wall) using hand puppets or hands alone see http://www.blifaloo.com/shadow-puppets/index.php .
* Rope tying games (learning to make special knots) and string games to strengthen little fingers (for example, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u98yAVyYGrI&feature=related to see how to make a cup-and-saucer out of string).
* Lots of story books, fairy tales and books on certain themes and topics (to be read to).
* Age-appropriate computer games (limit to 1 hour per day OR 2 hours Friday afternoon and 2 hours on Saturday).
6 – 7 years
All of the 5 year old favourites plus:
* Bicycle (soon without balancing wheels) / skipping rope / hop scotch mat / hoola-hoop /ring toss / ten pin bowling set / swimming equipment / ball games with equipment and rules, e.g. croquet, cricket , etc.
* Craft equipment, including equipment for plain stitching, simple weaving and mosaics (but no pre-printed patterns for the mosaics).
* Pick-up sticks / marbles /spinning tops / kite flying.
* Tag games, blind-fold games, tree climbing and hide and seek games.
* Masks and costumes.
* Simple card games (also include some that are more advanced than snap).
* A simple camera.
* Activity books that involve writing skills and perceptual development.
* Lots of story books, fairy tales and books on certain themes and topics. Now include beginning science and history toys and books, as well as rhyme, riddle, and joke books.
* Age-appropriate computer games (limit to 1 hour per day OR 2 hours Friday afternoon and 2 hours on Saturday).
It can all become a bit overwhelming, keeping in mind the age, developmental level, the true meaning of the toy, and all without blowing our budgets right out of the water... Never fear! There are some hard and fast guidelines to choosing the perfect toys, ones that will excite and entice your kiddos over the Festive Season, while teaching them valuable skills beyond the carols and the candlelight.
Words: Loren Stow
when we know better... we do better
Comments? Please email lizette@practicallyspeaking.co.za
If you would like to be notified of all new posts via email, please send an email to lizette@practicaprogram.co.za
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
