Blogging seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent times. Unfinished projects seem to be piling up around me, and so many topics are on my mind as Finlay reaches 21 months. Life in this household certainly is changing!
I think it's time I finally posted some pictures of moments I have been intending to share for many months now.
One of the many exciting developments that accompanies toddlerhood is the deep need to participate in daily activities a child sees taking place around the home. Allowing this to happen, and facilitating a child's participation wherever possible can be a huge challenge for parents who are busy and sleep-deprived. But if we can master the art of collaboration... amazing things happen! Concentration, pride in their work, joy, satisfaction, fine-motor development and impulse control, to name just a few of the benefits.
These tasks needn't be 'materials' or 'work' set up on shelves as you would see in a Montessori classroom. Any regular home can allow for this magic to take place. In fact, the most important thing in a home is that we adults have an open mind and can let go of the preconceptions we hold about what young children are capable of, how long a task should take and how perfectly it should be completed. In short, removing our own egos will let our children truly shine.
There isn't much mystery as to when to offer these activities - toddlers have an amazing ability to make it known when they want to try something new!
Here are a few of our magic moments from the past year:
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| 'Painting' the deck with Daddy, 11mths |
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Watering plants, 15mths |
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| Helping to clean the fish tank, 16mths |
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Spooning yoghurt and blueberries for a snack, 16mths
Scrubbing potatoes, 16mths
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Collecting eggs in the garden, 19mths
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| Shelling broad beans, 20mths |
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| Buttering toast, 20mths |
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Fin loves the food processor! 20mths
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We are by no means perfect in our household! There are many days when I struggle to be an ideal collaborative partner to Finlay. A wonderful image that I use to remind myself of the magic of collaboration is the following video. I had the good fortune to hear AMI trainer, Ginni Sackett speak at a conference earlier this year and she showed us this clip as a reminder of what true collaboration can look like. With the utmost humility, Christopher Dean offers his grace, strength and support to Jayne Torville in order for her to truly shine. Enjoy :)
