Think about your house. Where is the clock?
At adult eye-level probably.
Where are the towel hooks?
At adult arm's reach probably.
Where are the plates and cups and bowls?
Out of reach of children.
Just like the snacks and drinks.
What does this mean for kids and moms? Well, it means kids don't get the opportunity to walk past a clock and really look at it. Watch the hands move. Ask what it means, and get interested in telling time.
It means that instead of the kids putting away their own towel, or cup, or snacks, that mom has to do it. It's totally anti-independence! *As a note, if you have a snacker, like me, I totally understand having to be very intentional about what you keep low where kids can find it.**
But, it was with these thoughts in mind that I began unpacking in our new house.
I had the world map in our last house...at my eye level. I bought it for the kids, right? So why did I have it up where only I could study it?
I also put all the small plates, cups, and bowls in a low cupboard. I always tell the kids to set the table, but then I have to pull out all the dishes. It's little help to me if I have to do half the work. This way, the kids can do it all, including the counting, by themselves. They can also retrieve their own glass of water. Can I tell you how nice it is to not have to be constantly getting someone water? It's amazing!!!!!
So, if you want to foster independence, spark curiosity, or just plan, flat make your life easier. Consider this, put things on your kid's level.
(I kept the calendar high, because otherwise the kids throw the pieces all over. But I put our bird poster low in case we see any in our backyard. We don't have a cat anymore so maybe they'll come back.)
No comments:
Post a Comment