We've had a bit of a rough week adjusting to the time change. Well, the going to bed later hasn't really been a problem...it's the still-waking-up-early-after-going-to-bed-later that is the source of our cranky-pants problem. We've been trying to keep busy in the mornings, and that seems to help. This morning, we didn't have much on the agenda. We took a (very) brief walk outside - but it was down right cold! I guess it is time to come to terms that summer is over. (It is November, after all).
After some serious whining for a good part of the morning, I set Jonah down with a few bowls and some dry rice and pasta, as well as a few spoons and a cup. The first thing he did was lunge towards the bowl, grab a fistful of rice and shove it in his mouth - the kid knows food when he sees it!! I reacted - probably a little too dramatically - NODON'TEATTHAT!! And he burst into tears. I think he thought he was in trouble. After I got him calmed down and reiterated a few times that it was not for eating, but for playing, he dug right in. He made a terrible mess, but I tried my best to sit back and let him explore. That's what vacuum cleaners are for, right? He did lots of pouring and scooping and stirring. Mostly he just grabbed handfuls of rice and pasta and moved it from one bowl to the other. What a fun activity!
After some serious whining for a good part of the morning, I set Jonah down with a few bowls and some dry rice and pasta, as well as a few spoons and a cup. The first thing he did was lunge towards the bowl, grab a fistful of rice and shove it in his mouth - the kid knows food when he sees it!! I reacted - probably a little too dramatically - NODON'TEATTHAT!! And he burst into tears. I think he thought he was in trouble. After I got him calmed down and reiterated a few times that it was not for eating, but for playing, he dug right in. He made a terrible mess, but I tried my best to sit back and let him explore. That's what vacuum cleaners are for, right? He did lots of pouring and scooping and stirring. Mostly he just grabbed handfuls of rice and pasta and moved it from one bowl to the other. What a fun activity!
I used rice and pasta because that's what we had. I think next time I would not use rice, or use less rice, and maybe substitute different shapes of pasta and different colored beans. He had fun with some old pans, too, because the rice and pasta made a fun noise when he dropped them into the metal pans. I think I would also put down a sheet or blanket to try and contain the mess. That also might help with cleanup. A non-carpeted surface would probably be best, but our kitchen is the only place without carpet, and it's not very big. This is definitely something we'll try again.
This video is super boring, but I wanted to record a bit of this because he literally sat and played like this by himself for more than 45 minutes. And I think he would have gone on longer, but it was time for lunch.
1 comment:
Becca - my friend Jenny was just telling me how to make these. Check out her blog post:
http://www.onceuponalemonadestand.com/2013/05/10-easy-sensory-bin-ideas.html
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