Counting to three is a discipline technique used different ways by different parents. I've seen it used as a gentle way to assert authority, which is what I'm going to talk about here. I've also seen it used as a threat ("Do it before I count to three or I'll whip you!") and as a … Continue reading Counting to Three
preschooler
The Yogurt of Christ???
SCENE I: our dining room, a couple of weeks ago NICK (age 3): I want a plum! MAMA: (picking up plate with toast crumbs that has been on table all day) Okay, I'll put it on this plate. NICK: No! That plate has crumbs on it! MAMA: I will brush off the crumbs. NICK: NO!!! … Continue reading The Yogurt of Christ???
Breaking the shell of shyness
I was a shy child. I liked to be around people and was very interested in them, but for some reason I found it difficult to talk to unfamiliar people or even to feel that they were looking at me, and I was nervous that I might do something "wrong" that would make people yell at or laugh … Continue reading Breaking the shell of shyness
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Last week I took Nicholas to an interdenominational service celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There was only one other child there. We didn't stay for the whole thing, just the singing and opening speech and readings from Dr. King's speeches; then Nick got bored and we left, but I got a lot out of hearing … Continue reading Martin Luther King, Jr.
New Realms of Reading
One day in August, Nicholas and I were walking past a pile of trash set at the curb in front of an apartment building when I noticed a huge anthology of "Peanuts" comics, clean and hardly used, on top of the pile. I immediately grabbed it to take home. Nicholas (age two-and-a-half) was very interested in … Continue reading New Realms of Reading
Mothering in transit
The distance from our home to our childcare center is less than three miles. In rush-hour traffic, it's a 20-minute drive. But almost every day, Nicholas and I make the trip by public transit, taking two buses and at least 45 minutes in each direction. I could walk that distance in that time! Am I insane?! No. I'm convinced that public transit is a wonderful way to travel with a young child. The conveniences more than make up for the inconveniences, that extra time is time we spend together, and the trip is full of learning experiences for my child and me.
Offering Choices
An often-repeated tip for coping with young children is to "give them choices." Sometimes that works wonders...and other times it doesn't. It's all in how you do it. My grandma said that one of the most important things she learned as a parent was this: Don't ask a child IF she wants to do something unless … Continue reading Offering Choices
Children as Household Helpers
Projects that benefit the whole family, done by parent(s) and child(ren) working together, give a child a sense of being useful in the family. Feeling that he can do valuable work may help him to focus more on the needs of the family than his own needs and wants. We've found that Nicholas tends to be very calm … Continue reading Children as Household Helpers
Sunday shenanigans
Because his mother is an Episcopalian but his father does not belong to an organized religion, Nicholas was not baptized as an infant. My congregation welcomed him with the Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child, and everyone treats him as a member of the church family, but he will not join the … Continue reading Sunday shenanigans
The Earthling's Handbook 