Spring has been incredibly kind to us in Dubbo this year. It has been luxuriously long with abundant rain and warm days. I have learned to dread the sudden transition from winter to summer. The last few years frosts have suddenly been replaced by scorching drought. This gentle weather is a welcome anomaly. The garden is thriving and it is lovely to be outside all the time. I planted this mulberry tree about 18 months ago. I chose it in the hope that one day it will be a large, hardy shade tree. I'd love the boys to be able to climb it. I look forward to raising silk worms on its leaves. I am especially looking forward to enormous harvests of berries! Much to our excitement our little mulberry tree is producing it's first crop of berries. Not only berries but the joy of picking them! Since showing Bear and Fox that the berries are edible it is vanishingly rare to see a plump black mulberry - they are plucked and gobbled up in the blink of an eye. Even the little pink ones have been disappearing. They are very sour but apparently they are still delicious. The boys can't wait to get out there every morning to search among the leaves. There's nothing so fulfilling than finding your own morning tea and helping yourself to it. Fox calls them "Happies"!
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I have really struggled to enjoy art with Bear and Fox. It is something I like the idea of but haven't worked out how to do. There are so many ideas that I've seen and would love to try but haven't got around to. I have collected a lot of materials that we could use but haven't. There are lots of things that keep holding me back. I'm intimidated by the potential for mess. I haven't set aside a designated art space. I don't have much experience doing art activities with children. I choose to fill our time with activities. Maybe I'm just not an art person. Maybe we're just not an art family. I think that it is good to CREATE. Creating is purposeful and meaningful. It is productive. It can be generous. Creating is a much more powerful experience than CONSUMING. On the one hand I am content with the identity of "not an art person" because there are infinite ways that a person can create apart from "art". We can draw, sew, write, build, design, engineer, garden, blog, photograph, bake... I think individually we will each have creative outlets that are comfortable, enjoyable, therapeutic and enriching. On the other hand I would like to persevere with art (here I am thinking the paper, paints, pencils etc kind of art). Art can be a way to experiment and explore. A time to appreciate what is beautiful and pleasing (and perhaps notice what isn't so beautiful). It is a chance to interact with new equipment. To use tools, hands, fingers in different ways. To become confident and skilful. I've made another attempt to enjoy art at our home. I have found an easel outside where mess is welcome. I've organised our art supplies in a way that is easy to get out and pack away and I've set aside a time once a fortnight to try out new art ideas.
Maybe with some practice we might become art people.... Toilet learning has been such foreign territory as a first time mum. There is such an overwhelming supply of advice and "information" out there and of course all of it is conflicting. I was so relieved that Montessori provided a comprehensive approach to this area of child development as with all other areas. What a relief to find common sense, gentle, thorough guidance. I love the Montessori concept of "toilet learning" vs "toilet training". "Toilet learning" implies a gentle and gradual process that is intrinsic to the child. It is something that he will master when he's ready if he is given the right support at the right time. It's not about success or failure (for the child or his "coach"). I've used a lot of practical information form how we montessori and Racheous has collected some fantastic links on toilet learning which I have read thoroughly. Our toilet learning journey started with cloth nappies from birth. I started using Gerber undies inconsistently from 12 months. Then from 18 months I have became much more consistent with a prepared environment and consistent routine. This is what we've been doing since then: Potty stations I have two identical potty stations located in places Bear is likely to be without pants on. The first on the way out of his bedroom. Here he changes out of his nappy and into undies first thing in the morning and after naps. The second is in the bathroom opposite the toilet. I bring him here to clean up a poo. He likes to see his poo tipped into the toilet and waves goodbye when it's flushed. I also suggest he sits on the potty before and after baths or if he comes with me when I go to the toilet. I use the word "suggest" very deliberately. I learned very quickly that there is NO point forcing, bribing or even encouraging Bear to sit on the potty. He will tolerate is a very brief reminder that the potty's there. Sometimes he does like to practice getting on and off but it has to be on his terms and so far he's not very interested. Undies We use Gerber baby training pants because they're cheap. Even when they're shipped from the US to Australia they're no more than $7 per pair. Advantages - cheap, good fit, good colour options, 100% cotton, no waterproofing. Disadvantages - poor absorbency, tend to fall down after a bit of wear. At the moment we have 12 pairs and we use them whenever we're at home. 12 pairs isn't quite enough because they need to be changed so frequently. I have ordered another 12 which will be plenty and allow me to use Bear's nappies for the new baby. I slip a soaker from our Pop In nappies inside the undies which gives them the perfect absorbency. We've never had an overflow with the soaker in place but the nappy still looks and feels very wet. When I can see that Bear has done a wee I tell him "you've done a wee in your undies - look your undies are wet". I encourage him to look at his wet undies and feel them with his hand. Then I change him quickly without fuss where ever he happens to be at the time and point out "now your undies are dry". I don't think he is able to anticipate a wee or a poo yet. But over the last few weeks he has become reliable at letting me know when he's wet or dirty and cooperates much better with changes. This is exciting progress! Cleaning up
Of course being prepared for accidents is important. We have a ready supply of cloths and carpet cleaner. Bear loves this task and helps diligently whenever there is need. I was amazed how carefully he watched what I was doing the first time and how exactly he has imitated the work ever since. A fantastic Montessori moment! I was inspired by this post to get the bathroom working better for Bear. There are still some things I'd like to change but this is what we're up to so far. Bear's vanity There is a little shelf at the end of the bathtub which is a perfect height for Bear. He has a little basket here for his cup, toothbrush, hair brush, comb and nail clippers. I added a couple of mirrors at his height so he can see what he's doing. In the mornings we do our teeth and hair together. I fill his cup with water and put toothpaste on his brush. I leave them on his shelf for him. He brushes his teeth first (chews on the brush and eats the toothpaste) while he's watching me brush mine. Then I brush his teeth properly for him (sometimes against strong protests). When he's done he tips his water in the bathtub and puts his cup and toothbrush back in his basket. He loves watching himself brush his hair in the mirror. The bath We're still using the baby bath for Bear to save precious water. I'm so looking forward to bathing 2 boys together so that I can justify filling up the big bath! There's a shelf along the edge of the bath that he can reach while sitting down. I put his bath toys along here. The mirror sits here as well so he can see himself while he's in the bath. Lately it's a struggle getting Bear in the bath. Sometimes he point blank refuses. Or when he's had enough he's out of there like a shot - like bathing a cat! I rotate his bath toys in an attempt to lure him in and keep things interesting. The mirror has helped as well. At the moment if anything will hold his attention in the bath it's washing himself. He has two little bottles - one of body wash and one of shampoo. He loves opening and closing the lids, standing them up on their shelf and squeezing a drop at a time onto his arms and hands. He likes the game of washing body parts as I name them - "can you wash your tummy?" "Can you wash your toes?". His towel hangs on a low hook next to the bath... Alas he's even less interested in getting dry than he is in getting wet in the first place! In the cupboard are supplies of clean nappies and undies that Bear can help himself to. The potty One of Bear's potty stations is in the bathroom opposite the toilet. He can see himself in the mirror from the potty as well. There is a stool at the toilet so he can reach the flush and look in the bowl. Note the elastic band around the toilet roll - essential for my sanity. I bring Bear in here to clean up when he's done a poo. I suggest he sits on the potty whenever he's in here with his pants off. Sometimes he does. It's early days for toilet learning for Bear - I'll write a more descriptive post about toilet learning next. Things that need work...
The main thing that's missing for now is somewhere for Bear to wash his hands. I haven't worked out where and how to do that yet. So far I've been putting a bucket on the floor and putting it away afterwards. It's not idea. I would also love for Bear to be able to get himself into and out of the bath safely. I think if he had more control over whether he was in or out he might be more willing to participate. June and Grug became part of our family in October 2012. We were on our way home after celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary at Janolan Caves. We finally decided after long discussions in the car to buy some guinea-pigs. We found June in a pet shop in Bathurst and Grug in Orange. It wasn't long after we got home that I found out I was pregnant with Bear! I'm glad we made that impulsive decision. Guinea-pigs have always been my favourite pets. Bear loves them and they provide all sorts of Montessori opportunities.
The guinea-pigs live in a corner of the "school room" at the moment. I put out the bowl of cut up fruit or veg and some pellets so that Bear can feed them every morning. In time I think he'll love chopping up their treats himself. Twice per week we clean out the cage together. Bear helps collect the straw, fill up the cage and sweep up the mess. Once a week we clean their food dish and water bottle (a great excuse to get wet when it's 35 degrees!) We enjoy their company anytime!
I feel like we've settled into a new routine. Finally each week looks the same. I get to enjoy Bear's company 4 and a half days per week. We get to spend 1 and a half days per week together as a family. Only 2 and a half days of work. I used to be a routines and schedules person. Bear doesn't work like that! There's no doubt that he loves things to be predictable and ordered. But he also needs to take his time. So our "routine" has morphed into a "rhythm" that flows along through the day when we're at home together. It looks a little something like this: 6am I wake and get started in blissful quiet. I take the dog for a walk and get as many chores done as I can before Bear wakes up. (Thanks to the Gro-clock I usually get a whole hour to myself in the morning). 7am Bear gets up and has breakfast We brush our teeth and hair together and Bear gets dressed We head outside - we go for a nature walk, feed the chickens, or just play in the yard 9.30am Morning tea then inside time While Bear's busy working on something I do some work nearby. (Things like sweeping, dusting, folding, tidying. Things that Bear can join in if he's interested. Things I can put straight down if he needs a hand. Things that won't prevent me from observing him or distract him from some other work). New in the "schoolroom" this week: food for the guinea-pigs and water for the pot plant. 12pm Lunch then a sleep 2.30pm Afternoon tea Outing or more directed activity - we tried peeling banana pieces and chopping playdough this week. 5pm Daddy gets home! Some time with Dad while I get dinner ready - usually playing outside, a shower or wrestling! 6pm
Family dinner "Sitting Still" practice Playing games together, usually outside Teeth, nappy, PJs, then we all take the dog for a walk with Bear in the babybjorn 7pm Bedtime |
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My name is Vicky and I have 3 boys - Bear (10), Fox (8) and Wolf (6). Somehow I stumbled across Montessori and now my goal is to raise and educate my children with a Montessori approach in Dubbo. Archives
April 2024
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