Songs are threefold. They have a rhythm (the beat, like the beat of footsteps), the melody (the mood that touches our soul) and the lyrics (the meaning of the words). The first one – rhythm – plays right into the work of earliest childhood with its focus on movement, rhythm and the body. Nursery rhymes…
More »
I recently realized that there is a part of “parenting lore” that I don’t fully agree with. It has to do with those times when a child is overwhelmed, scared, stressed, crying, screaming, tantruming or otherwise completely dysregulated. I often hear the advice that, “children need these feelings, they need a safe place to express…
More »
As shadows fill my ev’rywhere,
I offer up this whispered prayer.
I’m grateful for this wondrous day,
Because, you know, I loved to play!
I twirled and laughed and stomped my feet,
And then I stopped to have a treat.
Air reminds me of music and songs. When I was a little girl, my grandmother would sing, “Kimberley’s a pretty-little-girl” to the tune of the meadowlarks. Only two generations ago in rural Utah and Idaho, when my grandparents were little, the children knew the birds and their birdsongs. They held meaning. Listen for the birdsongs….
More »
Everyone views inbreaths and outbreaths differently. The important thing is to go between them in a rhythmical sequence so the little children aren’t caught holding their breath. These are all metaphors, of course, but excellent ones for understanding children and what causes overwhelm or meltdown, and also joy or exuberance. For me, freeplay outdoors is…
More »
Transition times are essential to be aware of when coming into rhythm. I remember a mother telling me it took seven minutes to get out to the car. Transitions need to be a planned part of the day’s rhythm, rather than caught-off-guard, in-between-times. Children usually don’t like transitions. They like to do what they are…
More »
Sometimes you need your little child to play contentedly nearby while you do some work. To the rescue: complex toy combinations. Early childhood teachers, parents and grandparents too, have noticed that the more complex the play materials, the longer the children will play. The rule of thumb is more than three items. My all-time favorite…
More »
Take a movement journey with your little child. Adults can lead with the children following, then switch roles once the children get the hang of it. Unlike an obstacle course, you don’t have to set anything up. You just take off and start jumping over things, walking along things, climbing over things, rolling under things,…
More »
We like to think of our children as coming to us from the starry heavens. This means we are extremely blessed to be in the presence of little beings so much nearer to this heavenly realm than we are. What a blessing children are to their teachers and caregivers. But journeying from the heavens down…
More »
Being home for hours at a time with your own children without help or support is emotionally stressful. As I’ve said before, it takes more than two adults to do the daily care of children. How can you find solace when you don’t have help? And the more important question is, how can you build…
More »