©Lakeshore Learning Store

Sometimes giving up control is hard for parents.  Why is this?  Because it can lead to one great big MESS!

I remember taking my son to an early childhood class and the teacher asked, “Can he pour his own water?”  Since he was only 3 at the time I thought to myself, “How should I know, I have never let him.”

I quickly found out that learning to perform “self-care tasks” such as pouring from a small pitcher into a cup, is a skill children should be learning at age three.

Tip of the Day:

Remember to let them try new things, even if it is messy.  Hand-eye coordination needs to be developed through practice.  Buy a kid-sized pouring pitcher and let them practice filling their cup.

Tupperware pitcher on Ebay

Where do I find pouring pitchers for kids?

Tupperware used to sell kid sized pouring but they are not in the current catalog.

Ebay : I found them by typing in: kids Tupperware pitchers

Lakeshore Learning Store - Pouring Pitchers:  These come in a pack of 6 so try to find others who are also looking for pitchers.  You can also give them as birthday gifts.

© Disney - All Rights Reserved

All moms have or should have the Mary Poppins bag (dads can have one too - I don’t want to leave them out).  The type of bag that no matter what you are looking for, you can pull it out.  My husband is always impressed with the things I can pull out of my bag.  With kids you never know what you are going to need, so always be prepared.

Tip of the Day:

In your bag make sure to have color crayons for at the doctor’s office.  If you have ever been stuck in an exam room with a small child you know that 5 minutes can seem like an eternity.

My solution:  Crayons

The exam table becomes an art table since the paper is already there for you.  Children can draw pictures, shapes, numbers or you can play tic-tac-toe with your older children.  This not only passes the time but makes the child forget (for a few minutes) that he/she is about to see the doctor.

Warning! Do not substitute pens for crayons!  Pens will poke through the paper and leave ink on the table.

We all know the importance of Play-Doh.  Children need to use their hands to create and explore.  It is also a great way to help stregthen muscles.  Good parents set out a table of Play-Doh or clay for their toddlers every day, right?

Yes I believe children should have the opportunity to play with clay and/or Play-Doh.  However, parents do not always enjoy the clean up that accompanies this activity.  And why is it that no matter how hard you try, it always ends up stuck in the carpet?

Solution…. Squeezable smash in a bag!

Tip of the Day:

Make a batch of color smash (see recipe below).  This is a great way for kids to learn about color mixing while strengthening hand muscles.  The best part…No clean up for you (expect the dishes used to make it).

Color Smash:

1 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups cold water

Food coloring

Cook cornstarch, sugar and water over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.  Separate into three different bowls.  Color one batch blue, one red and one yellow.  Scoop spoonfuls of different colors into baggies.  SEAL!  Have children squeeze the colors to make new colors.  Example: red and yellow make orange.  This is a great way to teach primary colors!

Children all have a favorite story.  They ask for it every day and every day you think to yourself, “Not that one again!”.  However much to your dismay repetition is great for children.  In the book, Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten, the author points out that repetition stimulates memory which is critical for language development.

Tip of the Day:

Once your child has committed a story to memory, make a change to it.  First start with a dramatic change.  For example if there is a “red bird” change it to a “red elephant”.  Younger children will give you a puzzled look or stop you.  Older children will most often correct your mistake.

Throughout the week continue this activity but instead of dramatic changes begin to make subtle ones.  Making subtle changes help a child refine his/her memory skills.  This also enhances a child’s discrimination abilities.

A change in the story not only helps your child’s memory, but helps you make it through Brown Bear, Brown Bear for the 20th tiime.  You will find that this activity produces a lot of smiles and giggles as your child will think you are just a little crazy.

Did you know you can help build fine motor skills while eating?  Recently I discussed both picky eaters and fine motor skills.   Guess what?  I found a way to help both problems… Add fun utensils to meal time!

By giving children the option to use a toothpick versus a fork, they may find eating to be fun.  Since they are focusing so hard on using the toothpick, children often forget they do not like peas and accidentally put it in their mouth.  Besides potentially trying new foods, it is also giving their pincer grasp a workout by having them hold the toothpick between their finger and thumb.

Chopsticks are also good for fine motor skills.  There are a variety of chopsticks for kids that are attached at the top.  Here is a link:  Farm Sticks - New One-Piece Chopsticks. Small tongs are another option.

Warning:  Adding new utensils can and will lead to an extended meal time.  Do not do this when you are trying to rush out the door.

Tip of the Day:

Try using different utensils.  I found that my kids even enjoy it when I give them measuring spoons.  The will pile the corn or peas into a teaspoon and eat them.

Make sure that you make foods that are going to be easy to handle with chopsticks or toothpicks.  Sticky rice and mashed potatoes work well with chopsticks for beginners.  Cut up fruit and small grilled cheese squares work well for the toothpicks.