I am finding that there such a thing as over stimulating the young human brain. Since the twins were infants we enrolled them in every activity imaginable. At six months they began swimming in Water Babies. At the ripe old age of 9 months they took part in a music class. At a year they tried their feet at music and movement class. Next they were introduced to Gymnastics, Ballet, Advanced Swim Lessons just to name a few. This year at the age of four they have continued to attend swimming and gymnastics.....they have also ventured out to try Tap Dance, Ice Skating and Chinese Lessons. All of these experiences are in addition to the rigorous learning activities that I have introduced them to.
So why are we surprised to find our son in the bathroom with cups of water and ice creating an experiment to determine which will melt faster !? Or both of them in the kitchen with yard sticks and toy cars trying to determine at which angle the car will go the fastest !? Or our daughter singing different songs to determine if the underlying tunes are the same!? Our rolling various size balls down the straight slide and then the swirly slide to see which ball reacts best on each slide !? From the time they wake in the morning their minds are in constant motion. They perform experiments, throw ideas off one another and test hypothesises. It is very interesting to watch, however; at times it is too loud, too busy and too messy.
I know what you are thinking.... "Jennifer, you created your own monsters." We have afforded them a plethora of learning experiences and hopefully one day they will apply their curiosity and knowledge to better man kind. For now, I just hold my breath and await the larger experiments like volcanoes and bottle rockets. With any luck we will be present when these take place and not come home one day to find our house engulfed in flames. Knowledge is Power and our twins are fully charged.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Not Enough To Do
As I opened the cereal box....there it was....a race car that my children would soon be fighting over. I had no idea that they even put toys in cereal boxes anymore. My son was the first to spot it, so technically it was his. He unwrapped the bright yellow car and within the wrapper were various stickers and instructions on where each one went. The stickers were small and the directions were difficult, so needless to say my four year old would need help with this endeavor.
At the same time I was preparing breakfast for the children at daycare, welcoming parents and kids as they came through the door and trying to control the noise level as the twins began to argue over the unmarked yellow car. What mother or father for that matter has time first thing in the morning to break from the chaos to place stickers on a plastic matchbox car? What four year old will be patient and put the car aside until their parent is able to give it full attention?
With all the fussing and chaos that my morning brings, I stopped everything and placed each of the small stickers n the correct place. My son was thrilled and my daughter was devastated that she had not found the lucky yellow car. She finally came to grips with the fact that she had little interest in the car and asked me to pour her some cereal. Another new box....as I opened the cereal box....there it was....another tiny race car in need of detailing. Who has the time? What were the cereal companies thinking?
At the same time I was preparing breakfast for the children at daycare, welcoming parents and kids as they came through the door and trying to control the noise level as the twins began to argue over the unmarked yellow car. What mother or father for that matter has time first thing in the morning to break from the chaos to place stickers on a plastic matchbox car? What four year old will be patient and put the car aside until their parent is able to give it full attention?
With all the fussing and chaos that my morning brings, I stopped everything and placed each of the small stickers n the correct place. My son was thrilled and my daughter was devastated that she had not found the lucky yellow car. She finally came to grips with the fact that she had little interest in the car and asked me to pour her some cereal. Another new box....as I opened the cereal box....there it was....another tiny race car in need of detailing. Who has the time? What were the cereal companies thinking?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Crazy
On any given day I have between seven and ten children in my daycare. Of those children two are infants and three are under the age of two. Each and everyday I load up the van and take my cherubs on a learning adventure. We travel all around and take part in various classes including swim lessons, gymnastics, singing etc.... When people ask me how I travel with this many young children I respond.... "It's a like a well oiled machine. Once you get the hang of it, the process becomes second nature." I love my work, I love "my" kids and I believe wholeheartedly that children learn best through experiences. I know that my daycare stands apart from others and that each day, I am offering children a variety of learning experiences.
Today as I loaded all nine children in the van, I stopped briefly and asked myself... "Are You CRAZY? Nine kids, two bottles, seven snacks, nine car seats, one quadruple stroller, two diaper bags, nine changes of clothes and ME. Just me." I have always acknowledged that my job was a difficult one both mentally and physically, but today I was able to step back and watch myself from an entirely different prospective. I have decided that yes.... on most days I AM CRAZY! There are very few people that would put this much energy into caring for children. Every morning they take over our home... They cry, they scream, they smile, they sleep and they poop A LOT! So why do I continue to face these challenges each and every day.
Besides the obvious answers (money, stay at home with my children, etc....) I do this for the little boy that cries when his mother picks him up to go home. I do it for the insane laughter I can hear coming from my classroom. I do it for my first graders who beg to come stay with me on school vacations instead of going to camp with their friends. I do it to answer questions that first time parents always have. I do it because I believe in education...I believe in good care and I love each and every little one that has entered through my door.
Today as I loaded all nine children in the van, I stopped briefly and asked myself... "Are You CRAZY? Nine kids, two bottles, seven snacks, nine car seats, one quadruple stroller, two diaper bags, nine changes of clothes and ME. Just me." I have always acknowledged that my job was a difficult one both mentally and physically, but today I was able to step back and watch myself from an entirely different prospective. I have decided that yes.... on most days I AM CRAZY! There are very few people that would put this much energy into caring for children. Every morning they take over our home... They cry, they scream, they smile, they sleep and they poop A LOT! So why do I continue to face these challenges each and every day.
Besides the obvious answers (money, stay at home with my children, etc....) I do this for the little boy that cries when his mother picks him up to go home. I do it for the insane laughter I can hear coming from my classroom. I do it for my first graders who beg to come stay with me on school vacations instead of going to camp with their friends. I do it to answer questions that first time parents always have. I do it because I believe in education...I believe in good care and I love each and every little one that has entered through my door.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
A Trip to the Mall
Everyday the job of parenting offers a variety of issues, pressures and stresses. By night fall, I usually ask myself, "Was I a good parent today?" Most times the answer is "yes"....there are some times when it is a definite "NO!" If you ever ask yourself this question I suggest taking a trip to the mall!
Within the first ten minutes of entering any local mall you will be assured that "Yes, you ARE a terrific parent." It doesn't take long to find the parent yelling obscenities at their child or the one using their child as a boxing toy. You can hear kids crying, screaming and demanding everything they see. The mother dressed indecent telling her teenage daughter that she is not dressed appropriately. The father walking with his family but checking out the 19 year old blond walking by in the tight shorts. The parents spending money on a big screen t.v. while their child begs for something to eat. The parents that bring their children to the mall so dirty, they look like they just left a giant mud pit.
Yes, these unfit parents always boost my morale about parenting. I become aware that I am a great mother and that I am raising my children to be happy and productive adults. I may not always leave the mall with a handful of shopping bags, but I do leave with an urgent need to go home and hug my kids!
Within the first ten minutes of entering any local mall you will be assured that "Yes, you ARE a terrific parent." It doesn't take long to find the parent yelling obscenities at their child or the one using their child as a boxing toy. You can hear kids crying, screaming and demanding everything they see. The mother dressed indecent telling her teenage daughter that she is not dressed appropriately. The father walking with his family but checking out the 19 year old blond walking by in the tight shorts. The parents spending money on a big screen t.v. while their child begs for something to eat. The parents that bring their children to the mall so dirty, they look like they just left a giant mud pit.
Yes, these unfit parents always boost my morale about parenting. I become aware that I am a great mother and that I am raising my children to be happy and productive adults. I may not always leave the mall with a handful of shopping bags, but I do leave with an urgent need to go home and hug my kids!
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