Reading. Physical Activity. Social Skills.
For many parents(yours truly included), combining these essential, but seemingly exclusive aspects of child development is a challenge.
As a parent of a young daughter, I see that she craves different kinds of stimulation and activity during the course of a day. Yes, she seems to like books and reading with me, but I am absolutely sure it’s not all she wants to do all day, every day. There are days when she just prefers other activities over reading. And some days, she’ll just bring me book after book to read.
I’ve stayed home with my daughter for most of her 3 years. I realize how fortunate I am to have this opportunity to stay home and spend time with her during her baby and toddler years. But, I’m sure you’ll agree that keeping an active young kid engaged creatively for over 12 hours a day, every day is not easy. It’s fun. Fulfilling. Exciting and all that. But it’s a challenge in its own way. Like many parents, I try to find a balance between a variety of activities so she gets to do a little bit of everything and a lot of what she loves so that she isn’t too bored all that often.
Luckily for me, I like to read and we introduced her to books early on. So at least that’s one activity we do everyday that’s both easy and fun for both of us. But you can only read for so long. Like everything else, it gets tedious at some point.
I’d love to know how other parents have tackled this situation with their kids. I’m sure there are parents out there with far more challenging circumstances – those with more than one kid, single parents, kids with special needs…And it would be great to learn the different ways parents keep young kids busy at home, without the excessive use of TV or other multimedia aids.
As for me, besides reading, which has been central to our daily routine, there are a few other activities M and I enjoy regularly. I consciously try to mix in a little bit of physical exercise and outdoor activity so that she has a chance to develop in all respects and explore all aspects of her personality. Since I’m not an outdoorsy, athletic kind of person myself, I want to ensure that she at least has the opportunity to try some activities when she’s still young and is yet to form rigid opinions. So, here’s a look at how M and I spent most of our time, during these first three years -
- Mom and Baby Exercise Session. We’d simply exercise together. She’d watch me do simple stretches or yoga postures and mimic me. It turned out to be a lot of fun. And me shedding a few pounds was a bonus. A great children’s book that is good for reading together and for getting your child some exercise, is Toddlerobics. It’s got lots of silly, fun and natural movements and exercises that your baby can try as you read the book together. It was one of M’s favorite books when she was about 18 months old.
- Dance Like Nobody’s Watching. ‘Cos nobody is. So just let go. Dancing uninhibitedly with your child could be one of the most exhilarating experiences. You will be amazed at how quickly it eases stress and puts you in a lighter frame of mind. M and I often enjoy dancing to Dance Baby Dance, which has a fast and peppy instrumental version of popular children’s songs.
- Story time trips. Reading together at home is great. But story time at the library or book store is even more fun, because you’ll meet other kids and moms, play games, do fingerplays and watch someone else do the work while you relax! These trips are great for your kids’ social development as well, since she gets to see lots of other adults and kids, learns to listen, communicate and interact in a group. Especially important for kids who stay home and haven’t started daycare or pre-school yet.
- Stationary Activities. On days when you’re mostly indoors, coloring, doodling, singing, puzzles, playing with building blocks, skimming through flash cards, looking at family pictures, counting things, pretend play, playing with toy trains, Doctor kits and other musical toys are all great activities that aren’t too taxing on your tired body and can be considered creatively stimulating at the same time.
- Physical Activities. Rolling or kicking a ball, playing hide and seek or tag(indoors or outdoors in a safe environment), jumping on a trampoline( or occasionally the family bed), teaching your kid to do a somersault, taking a walk or running alongside your kid’s tricycle are great ways to get a work out for yourself and for your baby.
- Chores. No, I’m not talking child labor. But you do know that your little guy enjoys helping you, don’t you? Kids love to do everything they see their parents do. My daughter loves unloading the dishwasher. She helps me transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer. She enjoys wiping the kitchen cabinets with a towel. At first, every time I had to do one of these chores, I’d try to convince her to go play or read or ‘do something quietly while Mommy finishes her work’. Of course, I wasn’t successful. Then I realized that simply letting her do it would solve the problem. So, now, every time I unload the dishwasher or use the dryer, I enlist her help. Not only is she happy to help, but, for those few minutes, I don’t have to worry about what she’s up to or how to keep her engaged while I finish the chore. And guess what, she asks some of the most intelligent questions and we’ve had some of our best conversations during these moments.
- Talk. Did you know that 3-year olds can have growing vocabularies ranging from 300 to 1000 words or more? They pick up most of it by hearing you or others speak or read. Engaging your child in conversation is among the best ways to enhance his knowledge, vocabulary, self esteem, communication skills and to learn about his personality traits, likes, dislikes, fears and views. Long before I had my daughter, I had friends telling me how amazed they are at the kind of questions their kids ask them and the way they observe everything that’s being said around them and how they apply those words or phrases appropriately without even being taught. I’m experiencing this first-hand now, and boy am I blown away by the way the human brain is designed. It’s true. Kids do observe and register a lot more than we realize and they astonish us with their application when we least expect it. So, the more we talk to our kids, have conversations, encourage questions and pay attention, the more we both grow and learn in the process. And since talking doesn’t requite props or gadgets or batteries, it’s one of the easiest and most natural ways to keep kids engaged, for hours even, no matter where you are and what the weather.
This is just the tip of the ice berg. I’m sure there are hundreds of other creative ways for parents to keep kids busy in a constructive manner. We may not all be the same when it comes to coming up with creative strategies or handling kids with patience. But I guess as a collective group, parents can learn a lot from each other. And the more ways we learn to engage our kids, the easier it will be for us to keep them occupied without the help of video games or TV shows. And the more parents who are determined to spend creative, quality time with their kids, the healthier, smarter, more socially responsible and creative our kids are likely to turn out to be. And that, can only be a good thing for everybody.
I would really like to know -
Intellectual stimulation, social activity, physical exercise – how do you ensure your kid gets a healthy dose of everything?
