Wednesday 22 June 2011

Splosh!

This morning started out Rotten with a capital 'Rrrrrr'! (Do feel free to roll that 'R' in your head on my behalf - I've never been able to and I'd like to!) Duckling and I didn't get enough sleep (We both have sore throats and sniffles. We were awake a bit after 5 and several times in the night) and we spent the first part of the morning grumping at each other.
Eventually she looked at me during a nappy change and said 'Me sad!' 'No you're not!' I snapped then realised what I'd said. How lovely, telling my 2 year old how she feels instead of listening! I mentally shook myself and asked 'Why are you sad, sweetie?' 'Mummy' she replied, dejectedly. Urgh! My heart sank and might have broken just a little bit.

I apologised of course, and we started again and the day turned out ok. We did a bit of tidying, went for a puddle-splashing walk with our friends up the road, had nap and lunch and played and did a LOT of dancing.

Puddly days are so great! We put on her yellow wellies (yellow being her favourite colour) and we find little ones and big ones and yell 'splish splash splosh'  and are generally very silly.

My latest parenting freak out is nursery or the lack thereof since I'm an at home parent. I make sure she has time with other children of around her age at least a couple of times a week or more often (where possible), and we do lots of playing and reading and so on, but of course one cannot do anything as a parent without some kind of judgement from somewhere. Work and you get the nagging voice about putting your child's safety and socialisation in strangers' hands, stay at home and the nagging voice changes tack and insinuates your child doesn't get enough company and socialisation outside of you.

It will, of course, be fine. (Stop freaking out, woman! Bad quaker! No biscuit!) Kids are remarkably excellent and whether we send her to nursery full time now or keep her at home till the day she poddles into the primary school gates she will learn Stuff and be perfectly capable of making friends. This aside she's keen to learn so we're teaching her through playing as most parents (and care providers) do. I've borrowed a couple of books from Friend Up The Road that might give me a few ideas from the Montessori school of thought. A few of my American friends and one or two British ones are homeschooling their preschoolers so I might pick their brains a bit too. I'll report back with the more interesting things I find. Btw, some of the most useful websites and blogs for some of this stuff are the American Mormon mums (moms) blogs! Some of them seem to have a genius for creative educational fun things to do. I would LOVE to hear some of your favourite activities, methods and so on!

I don't want to push her too hard of course. My mum taught me to read at her age which seems scarily early now! I still can't do Maths very well though, so balance is maintained in the universe.

She's just wandered up to her Dad and I and offered us a 'noo noo tase' (little taste) of her pretend soup. :) I am loving the imaginative play. Cannot decide whether I love the little tea parties or the trips on flying carpets more. I think there's room for both.

2 comments:

  1. Do teach her properly - it's pirie for little as in "pirie dog" when you see a six week old Newfoundland pup towering over a full grown Shetland sheep dog. You are doing well. Remember that children who are brought up by carers / go to nursery may not be any more socialised than those with home parents as that carer/ group can replace family without introducing a wider and fluctuating group such as a home parent meets by getting on buses, shopping, swimming, having coffee ... Ruth

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  2. :) I'll try to make sure she learns that! She has a couple of 'Aunties' from Shetland who'll be keen to add it to her dialect!

    Thanks, Ruth. A nice reminder.

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