What do you do when your child is involved in any activity? Sometimes it becomes difficult to enter into their world.
A few days back we had designed activities around “exploring sand in many different ways” Kids were in sand area for one full day without any of us, and they explored what all we had planned for them. To enter into their world, we needed to do something differently, something which looks different, feels different. We brought in “ghost” next day, ghost in sand area was exciting - the life size carving of ghost in sand area was even more interesting. The activity did not last as much as the play in sand area lasted the previous day. The effect of this “different” came after few days, when they naturally combined two experiences and created a new learning for themselves.
When your child is small (1 to 2yrs) - after the basic needs are met like dry diapers, food, milk, rest, hugs, ……………………...there is not much that the child comes to us for. But what about when we want to go to them? How do we go ahead?
Here is a small recipe for parents to enter into the kids’ world.
Do differently - Do an activity which you would anyway be doing with your child - (say reading a book) - but do it differently. Idea is to add value and richness to the day to day activity by doing it differently.
Do different - expose them to different kinds of activities - which typically your child is NOT doing. Add different resources to the choices.
Look Differently - Adulthood means we are conditioned and what children need is to be seen from a fresh perspective. Turn your beliefs upside down, try a different approach, discover a whole new world for you and your child too.
Here are few things that you can try
Dancing (diff combinations) - Dance together - with different props - ribbon, beach ball, newspaper roll, chair, a soft toy, pillow, etc. Use different positions to dance - sitting, lying down, on the knees, back to back, fingers touching always, etc. Try loads of combinations. The key idea is that dance does not mean only steps - dance can also mean let go (eg., both dance with one end of ribbon in respective mouths).
People - do things to others. This game is to promote mixing up of children and parents with each other. Things to do can be - some ideas - put hat on head, colour using sketch pen on hand, dupatta around the shoulder, lipstick on cheek, post-its or taped pictures on back, newspaper sock in feet, a pebble in pocket, colour paper confetti in hair, and so on. Play lots of rounds using simple day to day things.
Self esteem - Labels: Use a large soft toy. Your child acts using the soft toy and you label the behaviour “Your behaviour is …...” (you do not label the child like your are naughty, rather label the behaviour, that this behaviour was naughty). Change the roles.
Apart from your child getting amused with your behaviour, you too get some “time out” from daily chores of “nappy, food, sleep time etc”. Your being different brings a different day for you, Try today!
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amable is geniekids/aarohi
initiative
Events and updates
1.Online workshop on empowering children against abuse (monday 21st July): As part of our continuous effort over the last 10+ years of empowering children against sexual abuse, we are conducting workshop for parents. register here
2. workshop on empowering children against abuse: at our whitefield center on 2nd August. Details here.
3. Wonder Years - parent toddler program starting on July 21st. For more details click here.
4. Aarohi i and o-campus are buzzing with children’s activities. Read blogs, see pics and watch videos here.
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