Homeschooling
- I have discovered over the past months that James really LIKES handwriting. I was so worried that he would dread it and I was mentally prepared for that to be our struggle. Nope. Not even close. Wanna know what he groans about? Math! I take some of the busy work out of it by writing for him. He counts and builds large numbers with the blocks and I write down his answer on the worksheet. I even color the blocks. I just want him to think about counting and not missing numbers and now focus on addition and building numbers. He counted to 100 the other day! It was a wonderful experience to see him working hard to do it.
- James loves the word games we play. He is developing pre-reading skills and he likes the word games where he gets to talk (his words). In the beginning, he struggled with understanding rhyming words and so he started thinking up pairs of words he thought rhymed. So, since about September, he will randomly say to me or Chris, "Hey! Tree and bee rhyme!" as an example.
- James read a new word the other day from the TV! We were watching "The Incredible Hulk" (the 1970's show) and he saw G-R-I-F-F on a tombstone and asked, "Does that say Griff?". I couldn't believe it!!!
- James is just now (like in the past week and a half) starting to draw. I have Nana to thank for that. She sends James that great magazine Ranger Rick Jr. (formally known as My Big Backyard). Each issue has a page of drawings that kids have submitted...and they are all his age. He is very interested in knowing the ages of the kids and what they have drawn. It's been a great influence.
Raising Boys
- I've been doing a lot of reading about raising boys and parenting in general. A couple of them seem to contradict each other but when reading these books, I have to be aware of what I already know about my child and what will and won't work. That Love and Logic book will not work right now. I know this after reading Beyond Time Out From Chaos to Calm I realized that I need James to do as I say. If it's 40 degrees outside and he is refusing to put on a coat, then he is not going outside. Love and Logic tell you to let the child make the decision and learn from it that way...natural consequences. That's all fine and dandy....when they are older but not at five. A five-year-old can't be expected to even remember that harsh lesson. They are simply not mature enough to learn from their mistakes the the first time.
- And can I just vent for a second???? Well it IS my blog so here it is: Why do books advocate taking home the child who is in public having a temper tantrum???? I don't get it! When James did that, I would a.) ignore it or b.) talk to him and let him know that his behavior would not be tolerated. I NEVER let his behavior prevent me from getting my groceries or eating dinner out. Why give a child that kind of power???? There is a c). Chris gives him a "talk". (I don't know what is said but it works. I've seen my brother-in-law do this with my nephew too. Very enigmatic.) Chris and I have taught him how we expect him to behave in public. Ok. I'm done.
- An inspirational book I have been reading is called Boys Should be Boys: 7 Secrets to Raising Healthy Sons. The most precious thing I have learned is that boys James' age will easily accept and believe in God. This is a critical time in his life in which I should be instilling my values and his father's values now. While we don't go to church, we talk about God, I have added devotions to our lessons and we pray. Our lives are too hectic and I feel guilty that church is being put on hold. Being at church as a little girl is something I still remember. It helped to develop my character and who I am too. I really want that for James. I think I may have to come to a point where I simply will not work on Sundays so that I have the energy to get up and go to church and also have time for rest and time with family. Perhaps I just found my New Year's Resolution.
- James will tell me NO for just about everything I ask him to do (he doesn't get away with it though) and then, on a new day, he will latch on to me like a monkey and say he wants to hug me for 1,080 years. It's always 1,080 and I have no idea why. Whether he is talking about percent as in, "I love you a thousand and eighty percent" or going to time out, "Do I have to stay in my room for a thousand and eighty days???".
Family
- I have recently felt very grateful for my mother and all she does for me. She helps my sister and I quite a bit and rarely, if ever, says no to a request. I have been working extra hours and she has been really wonderful in letting James spend the night on short notice. It's good that he likes going over there too. Too often the relationships of mothers and daughters can seem complicated but it doesn't have to be.
- This Thanksgiving I realized that I love the traditions that are being created as an adult at my parent's house. After dinner, me, my sister and my Mom are left at the table to talk. We talk and talk until something breaks the spell. This Thanksgiving, it was my Mom tipping over her crystal goblet and it shattered all over the table. :) It was kinda funny. James and my nephew chase each other through the kitchen and into the den over and over again. My Dad tickles James relentlessly...just like he did to me and my sister when we were little.
I know I have forgotten some valuable observations and other significant thoughts but the clean laundry is piled up so high on my bed right now I won't be able to get the sheets on it later. It's been nice to take a few minutes to write. Granted I started this post about 2 hours ago. I ate lunch int he middle of it. Then James came running in from outside to say he needed a coat and stole the strawberries that I was eating. He wanted enough for him and Regan (our neighbor) and two forks. Sigh. Smile.
