Being a parent, you soon discover that you need a Pandora’s
box of ideas to keep your child occupied on different days. Days like when the
child is ill and you have to keep her indoors, those long weekends and those
weekends when your social calendar is light and those mid week days when the
child is home for some random reason and you are wfh.
Over the last year, we have figured out a few things in this
regard. However, the quest remains.
1
- Prep the child for the activity you want to do
This helps them feel excited without completely breaking the
suspense and they broadly know if it is a colouring or craft or kitchen
activity or reading or some new thing that you shall try.
- Create a suspense about it
Tell them the larger picture, retain the small details. Ask
questions and figure out if they have something in mind that you may incorporate
into the original idea.
- Do not treat this like a chore
The moment you treat this like a chore, it loses its charm
and impact. Go with the flow. There is only so much you can plan.
- Understand the child’s attention span
For some activities, your child may be able to sit for a
good 45-60 mins and be absorbed in it. Some activities, they will finish in 10
and want to do something else. Some, they may just be distracted to even
attempt it completely.
- Keep a flexible , multi activity plan in mind
The little human beings are extremely creative and surprise
us with all that they can come up with. So, keep the activities flexible, keep
a few in mind and have space for unstructured play. Let it all unfold
organically. What may start off as a word game may convert to a market place
with your child selling the alphabet blocks, reading them phonetically.
- While you initiate, let it move to be child led
Do not micro-manage, wanting to hold their hands or forcing
the rules. If it is about learning a game with stringent rules, instruct them
accordingly. But if it is about an activity to spend time, learn a bit and have
a lot of fun, let the child take the lead and behold, surprise you.
- Keep Heart
There will be days when nothing works and there will be days
when it works seamlessly. Embrace both with love and be cautioned, there is
more to come.
- It is ALWAYS about the child
Creating and building activities for them is not about you,
it is about providing a sensorial experience to the child. So, remember, it is
always about the child. You may love to play jenga but your child may chose to
convert it to dominos. Go, with the flow and let it cascade.
Here are a few things
that we did with Ira over the last few weeks, ensuring she was truly ‘Little
Miss Busy’! These are picture collages and am going to leave you to imagine what
more can be done.
Turn any natural event into an activity to learn and have fun- the recent lunar eclipse event
Cooking with papa is an all time favorite activity. Making Spinach Potato Peas patties.
#Ira #Iraisms #TalesAtThree #Activities #Keepingthechildbusy #Parenting
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