Drumming to our own beat

After my three boys go off to school, my little girl and I enjoy our girl time together. She loves her baby dolls and her "princess mommies". She likes having little conversations with each doll. That can keep her busy for a long time. Since my boys' energy levels can be off the charts some days, I enjoy these quiet play times with my daughter. In her room, she holds court for all her dolls and allows me to help her get them ready to be received : ) She likes that whole princess role. I expected to once again play dolls today, but she had other ideas. She discovered today that she can find drums all over the house and loved tapping out a beat for me to copy. Her little hands liked the couch drum the best. I had to redirect her once I saw her heading for Daddy's TV. Her joy in this new music game was contagious. I found myself getting a kick out of trying to think up new beats for her to try. By the end of our little drum run around the house, we were both smiling and tired. We got a good workout today. Our time together was not as quiet as usual, but she loved impressing me with her drum beats on all sorts of surfaces. It looks like the princess has left her throne to play as a musician for a while. She said that she wants to show her brothers this new game. That may be a scary proposition once the boys get involved. It will be one crazy concert for Daddy when he gets home. At least, the kids will be happily drumming along!

My Young Son, The Writer

My five year old son just asked me for a pencil and paper to practice writing his alphabet. Writing is one of his favorite activities in his kindergarten classroom. He runs to the "writing center" even when his classmates zoom off to the art and play centers. At the writing center, he will sit quietly and thoughtfully as he attempts to write a sentence or two. He works hard trying to hear the letter sounds as he stretches out words. After writing a sentence, he will often add an illustration and proudly write his name on top of the paper. I know that he feels such a sense of accomplishment when he shares his ideas and thoughts in writing.

When he gets home from school, he can't wait to show his writing to everyone. He especially likes to share his writing with his older brothers. I think he feels more part of their world now that he is beginning to read and write. Something truly does click inside of young children when they start expressing themselves through writing. You can see how their self-confidence soars as their writing skills grow. Teachers must feel enlivened each time that spark of recognition and inspiration bring out the writer in a young child. What a grand sense of accomplishment!

My five year old son just finished a few sentences about his family and a trip to the zoo. His smile is priceless. His excitement is inspirational. Maybe his brothers will put down the video game controller for a minute and grab a pencil : )

The Happy Child Performer

I can hear my daughter sing a melody of her own creation as she dances with her dolls. She just bursts into these little songs as she plays throughout the day. Her three year old world is so full of wonder, imagination and joy. I get a kick out of hearing her add funny details to her songs. If she catches me watching her, she will add cute gestures or facial expressions to keep my interest. Isn't it great to see how little children feel so free to express themselves through song, dance or storytelling in the comfort of their home. The young child's creative spark can't help but light up a home. If I'm having a particularly stressful day, I can forget some of my worries as I watch my little fairy princess singing her favorite Cinderella song as she twirls about.

Children have a natural desire to express themselves through music. They get to sing and dance without any concern about criticism or technique. They just jump right into the music and allow the song to drive their happiness if even for a few moments.

So feel free to sing and see if you found another little way to create some happiness!

Parenting 101

Before my first son was born, I read every kind of parenting book that I could find. I thought that I would be well prepared to handle whatever my new bundle of joy could throw at me. Well, now after having four kids, I know that as a mom I need to just go with my gut and try to enjoy the ride with all the bumps and detours along the way. Even with the best intentions, all honest parents must admit that we screw up sometimes. It truly is an on the job learning process. My biggest challenge is stepping back and remembering that my children's outbursts are part of their emotional development. Their emotions are still so raw and immature. I'm amazed at how certain situations can bring out such emotional reactions from my children. Their sensitivities are heightened and ready to be unleashed at any given moment. Just when I think that one of my kids must have "outgrown" that kind of reaction, a meltdown can occur that will make me wonder if these emotional eruptions will ever end. I need to heighten my sensitivity to what they must be feeling as they try and figure out their world from their perspective. As we all know, in the heat of a parent/child confrontation, that parental sensitivity usually is left at the door. I don't think that there is a set parenting practice for every kind of emotional outburst in children. I don't want to turn into a parenting robot when I discipline or speak with my children about inappropriate behavior. I always wish that I could reach them in that emotional zone where they are trapped during an argument. Those walls are high walls for a parent to climb. Bad attitude needs to be checked, but parental reason must lead the way. Easier said than done when all four kids are in extreme hyper mode and screaming at the top of their lungs.

Patience is a virtue that I'm pursuing daily. My emotional development continues too.

Pretend Play with my three year old

Watching my three year old use her imagination is always a joy. Pretend play is such a great way for young children to nourish their budding creativity. New ideas or variations on a game seem to come so naturally for young children during pretend play. It has often been commented on how a child's experience is so pure and direct. When involved in pretend play, I watch as my daughter embellishes and edits her story about a character or event from her imagination. She shows no hesitation or doubt as she happily goes on with her "story". If prompted, she can jump right back into that storyteller mode even after a couple of days. The experience stays fresh and alive for her. Taking the time to play and listen to her is also an educational experience for me. As a kind of "muse", my three year old daughter reminds me to release my "little girl imagination" so my stories can have that same purity and wonder.

Our children's young years are filled with a focused imagination and unbridled curiosity. Our interactions, experiences and artistic expressions would be so refreshed by renewing our commitment to find that imaginative child once again within all of us.

My three year old is now calling for me to help find the captured princess. She said that she knows how to get past the crocodile moat. I'm all ears!

Kids Need to be Writers

Writing well is such an essential skill for personal and professional success. I am afraid that today's kids are not practicing writing enough or building on their creative writing skills. Texting has become kids' main way to communicate these days. This shorthand approach to communication is probably going to have a significant effect on their ability to clearly communicate in writing not only in school, but also in business. There are so many great teachers who work diligently to get kids excited about writing. Wouldn't it be great if a collaborative writer's workshop period was added to each student's school day? All kids would benefit from the daily opportunity to express, create and communicate. A dedication to writing can lead a student writer's confidence soaring in both the classroom and social life.

I think that parents have to strongly support, encourage and praise their children's writing efforts. In partnership with creative, enthusiastic teachers, the involved parent gets the chance to "hear" their children's voices in sharing and discussing writing.

Even though I love to write, I know that my older children write only what is necessary to pass an assignment. I hope that some of my excitement about writing rubs off on them someday. We'll see!