Recently, DD has been attending daycare a few mornings a week. The best part -- aside from the much-needed quiet time it provides me, during which I can focus on work -- is that the active and loud environment provides such great stimulation that DD rarely complains of boredom for the remainder of the day!
This has become a problem, however, on days when she doesn't attend daycare. Being home with Ima, playing with toys on the living room floor, tagging along for chores and errands -- our old routine has recently become a recipe for a VERY CRANKY kid.
(In truth, this is probably not caused by daycare... I think starting daycare just corresponded well with that developmental stage where DD finally needs more than food and hugs to be happy! But I digress.)
Hence, I started wondering how to recreate a stimulating "pre-school" style environment on our own. It seems like a critical skill to learn... I never understood the phenomenon of sending children to pre-school at a young age to learn "socialization" or "reading readiness" -- to me, separation from one's young child is only undertaken in situations of necessity, like parental employment, and all "skills" of early education can be taught at home. (At least, that's what I think so far... you'll know if my opinion changes in a couple years.)
As far as I can tell, here are the components of DD's mornings at daycare:
1) free play -- lots of new toys, plenty of kids around
2) circle time -- read books and sing songs together
3) art time -- usually with finger paints or crayons, or challah dough braiding
4) snack time
I have some ideas for each of these categories, but I'd appreciate your comments too!
1) Free Play:
DD has 2 full toyboxes in our living room, and back in the olden era, she'd spend a few hours daily, on the floor surrounded by toys, with Ima as faithful playmate. Now, though, she seems much less interested in the toys. Maybe I should split them into a few smaller boxes and rotate each day, so said toys seem less familiar and thus more exciting?
We've also become regulars at the neighborhood playground, which is WONDERFUL. DD really likes to interact with the other kids, and also, of course, with the many toys they bring to the playground. (I don't usually bring toys, because I don't like sharing our stuff with random strangers... is that mean? Particularly when I take full advantage of other parents who share theirs?)
And of course, there's our weekly playgroup with 4 other mommy/toddler pairs in the neighborhood, when DD gets novel toys & social interaction while I get my sanity check for the week. I want to write more about that playgroup, but I'll save it for another post.
2) Circle Time
We have always read a few books daily, with concentrations before naptime and bedtime... there could be more, though, during periods of the day when DD is more awake. I've also wanted to work more books into our repertoire that involve active reading, involving identifying objects she knows on a page ("DD, can you point to the __?") and alphabet and number skills. We don't own any yet, but acquisition should be pretty simple (... "Grandma Grandpa? Bubbie Zaydie?")
In terms of singing, I should really start doing that. Until now DD mostly hears music when I'm humming to myself during household chores, but we don't really sing together, or sing songs with hand motions. I know enough kids' songs that this should be pretty easy -- maybe song time on the couch together, the same way we do books?
3) Art Time
Pre-daycare: nil.
Now: need to buy some art supplies. Maybe some chunky crayons. (We already have finger paints but they are SOOO messy!) Until I saw the projects she's been bringing home, I didn't realize the fine motor skills DD already possesses -- she can really scribble now!
I should also brainstorm for some different types of art projects. Never being an artistic person myself, I find this brainstorming pretty difficult, but there are a few resources I will check out (eg parshacakes.blogspot.com/ and www.parents.com/app/familyfunfinder and familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-age/toddler-crafts/)
4) Snack Time:
This is the one area where I think we've established a sufficient routine already. Three times daily, DD climbs into her high chair to eat alongside Ima and Abba.
The above routine will involve a lot of active participation on my part... it's going to be a hard transition, being that I'm so accustomed to "doing my own thing" at home while DD plays by herself or with a low level of parental involvement... but I've realized that playing by herself thing is just NOT working well anymore. Parenting is supposed to involve a heavy hiourly commitment, right?
I bet this routine would be a great framework within which to operate a "baby swap" (alternating with another mom to babysit the other's kid on a regular basis). Tried this for a couple weeks with one friend, but we run on such different schedules, so the attempt was short-lived. Maybe, once I get the preschool-like routine down, I will look for another!
