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Happy Heart Day!

   Written by on February 6, 2014 at 10:49 am

Warmer weather is in the works. I just know it! I tend to get a little stir crazy when it’s so cold, or my car is so coated with snow and ice that I can’t get outside. It helps me even if I only drive into town for a burger.

Have you noticed that your wee ones get fretful and hard to please during those times, too? It has been so brutally cold during the last few storms that it wasn’t even safe to let older preschoolers go outside for more than a few minutes at a time.

logo-wee-notesHow do you help entertain your children during those difficult times? It’s a great time to use play dough. Teach your little artists that they must remain at the table (or some specified area) in order to use art supplies. I stayed with my 19-month-old grandson for a week in the fall. I had heard my daughter tell Peter that he must stay on a special floor covering to use his crayons. Therefore, I expected the same of him while I was doing the care giving. When he tired of coloring, he would point to the fireplace mantle as that is where I would place the crayons between uses. Even at that young age, he knew to use his crayons in a special place and that they had a “home” between times.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have had first-time moms tell me they wouldn’t allow their child to have crayons because “all they do is write all over everything.” If I had handed Peter his crayons and walked away, I’m certain he would have done the same because one of the jobs of a young child is to explore their world in every way they can.

By the time they are a year old, children should be able to scribble on paper with a large crayon or marker. Therefore, it’s important to give them opportunities to develop this skill. Crayons placed permanently in a drawer or on a shelf won’t assist children to do so. Plan times to allow your child to use tools that will encourage the development of small muscles in the hands and fingers.

It’s nearing Valentine’s Day. A perfect time to let your little one make use of art supplies. Provide crayons, or if you are brave, washable paint in fun colors and allow him to paint on newsprint or some other paper. When finished, depending on his age and skill level, you may allow him to cut heart shapes you have drawn on the paper once the paint has dried, or you may need to do the cutting. Then provide glue, tape, and fresh paper for him to make a card for someone special.

Be patient. Allow his work to be good enough even if all of his hearts are in one corner. Trust me, when you haven’t rearranged his art, those early efforts will mean far more when you look at them in years to come.

As he works, talk about the heart shapes, the colors, sizes. Is he able to sort them according to color and size? Ask him which color he likes most. Get his input as to whom he might give his special card. Praise his efforts. Enjoy his company. Happy parenting!

© 2014 Brenda Holland-Robinson

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