No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

‘No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’ is one of my favourite sayings. It is a phrase most commonly used when talking about how the Scandinavians live their life and one that is practised in my house everyday. No matter if it's cold, stormy, sunshine, rainbows, cloudy etc we are out and about enjoying our day.

To me this phrase promotes that even in stormy days, life is bright and wonderful adventures are to be had. If we spent our time waiting for the sunny skies, we would miss all the adventures on the other days. I just love this quote more and more. So simple, yet so profound.

I do however love living in Melbourne because our weather is quite neutral, no harsh winters or summers. We also have quite consistant weather patterns, if you track it like I do. I do this so I know what to wear. Winter is chilly, so warm thermals and shoes solve any uncomfortable feelings. Spring is wet and mostly cold in the mornings, with the sun shining strong in the afternoons, so I try to remember to dress in layers. 

Although I'm mostly prepared for myself, my kids have their own ideas how to dress.
Livy yesterday turned up to a chilly spring morning in her bathers. Eventually she was shivering, she chose to put her jumper on. I find it so empowering to allow my children to choose their outfits at all times and especially on days when the weather is a little cold or hot. I find them both being in tune with natural patterns and becoming aware of the world outside, similarly their own sensations are acknowledged as well. My son for two years has only worn leggings and long sleeve tops, all day, every day. He had an experience on a freezing cold winter day that he will never forget and from that day on he always remembered his jacket.

I provide the appropriate clothes in their cupboards and support my two kids to make decisions what to wear and how to dress themselves. If we lived anywhere else in the world I think Mav would have to assess his fashion sense but he is lucky Melbourne is consistently mild. 

Supportive independent dressing has been a conscious set up in my house. From birth we have invited our children to put in their legs, arms, head etc when putting on their clothes.
Their clothes are in low drawers, easily accessible and I provide a stable chair for extra dressing support. I can see a sense of pride and feelings of competence when my two dress themselves.
I love that Mav has even taught Livy, the Montessori coat flip. (Google it :) ) 

As they are still young, I take the layers with me incase they change their mind or in most cases the weather does. However one day it will be one less thing for me to worry about.


Observe more, enjoy most
Vanessa

Toys, love them or hate them?

Toys - Love them or hate them? That is the question. 

I really do have a love/hate relationship with toys. My house has a designated space for them however they still find their way into every room of the house, even under my covers.

Every couple of months I round up toys that have missing parts, haven't been played with for a while or I deem to be an 'active'  toy (such as toys that light up and sing) and off to the Posh Opp shop or landfill they go. 

We have just had a birthday in our house, so after I write this blog it's time for a toy clean up. I try to get the kids involved, either choose to put the toys in a cupboard or donate them so that I'm not doing it behind their back. However when they loose interest I carry on my mission and purge.
Of course there are times, my son will ask 'where is that blue tool box with the orange hammer?' I will point him to the red tool box but he wants the one I have donated. Whoops! 
My reply is always 'you didn't put it back on the shelf and therefore it has been donated to another child.' (A great tip to encourage packing up.)

Toys or 'play objects' as Magda Gerber describes them, have an important role in helping children to understand their world. Whether they are stacking blocks and learning about balance and gravity, role playing by cooking in their play kitchen, creating their visit to the zoo with magnatiles and wooden animals, the list goes on and on. For children, 'Play' is not about entertainment or distraction from boredom, it's all about learning to navigate their world.

I have come up with a list of how I view toys in my house:  

1. I do not have all toys out at once.
To think about not doing this gives me nightmares, and I am far from a neat freak. 
First of all, it is overwhelming for any adult, let alone a child to pack everything away. 
It is also overwhelming for the children to know what to play with if they have so many choices. They will probably not even go near the toy box and if they do they will just dump it out and not put it back again.

2. I aim to provide 'Passive' toys
It is really important to give your children 'toys' that are open ended and simple. A few benefits is that it provides opportunities to be curious and learn. Magda Gerber refers to these as passive play objects. 
She says: "None do anything.  They will only respond when the infant activates them.  In other words our active infant manipulates passive objects."

3. I offer toys connected to schemas and sensitive periods 
In my latest blog I mentioned schemas and similarly, children also grow through sensitive periods which are periods of readiness to learn. Many of these sensitive periods are between ages 0-6years. Use your observation and knowledge of your own child, to ensure that the 'toys' you provide are meeting their individual needs.  For example, if your child is expressing urges to throw and dump, make sure you have balls and buckets. If your child has a particular interest in geography, provide a world map puzzle or Atlas. 

Taking time to observe your child will help create a space for them to learn and grow. A space is more likely to remain orderly and maintained if the children have a sense that the play objects have purpose and provide nourishment for their exploration. 

I think first I should tidy my own room and then I'll tackle the 'Playroom' 

Observe more, enjoy most 
Vanessa

Why all the fuss about 'Play'?

Scrolling my Facebook, I have countless articles on the topic of 'play'.
Play seems like such a simple topic. Give the kids the toys and they will play.
Whats the big deal?

Well...

Children play in order to understand their world and you could say that this is true for adults too.
However somewhere in our timeline of growing up, play is no longer called play, but called work, leisure, competition etc
When we view play as an expression of children to make sense of their world, giving a child a toy that lights up and makes funny alphabet noises doesn't stack up as something that is worth playing with then. Do you agree?

In the beginning, all babies are content to play with their voice, feet and hands. As the child grows up and becomes a walking, talking member of the family, you will catch them playing in ways that mimic you and the primary caregivers. I'm sure you have all been delighted when your child/children have chosen to clean the floors and wash the dishes. Also during this huge growth period of toddlerdom, children have schemas which need to be expressed, such as ordering, climbing, throwing etc (link below for more information). This is where the 'toys' come into the picture.

Observing your child and seeing what schemas they express can really help you choose 'play objects' that wont just sit in the corner of the playroom. My son would line up all his cars in a row and all his toys need to be neatly put away (lucky for me this sense of positioning is still going strong as he cleans up his toys). He still uses his cars to make car parks, and garages, train stations. So buying him cars and trucks does not go to waste. My daughter, strongly expresses the transporting schema. She loves to fill up cups and jugs and take it to the table. We encourage this as her contribution when setting up the water paints.

Children express more than one schema at one time and change interests as they grow. Observing your child in play will give you lots of clues into what urges they are playing out.

With all the emphasis on children's learning through play, there is one very important point - We adults need not teach anything. We get to relax and have fun, following our child's lead and allowing them to follow their interest and urges.

"When you teach a child something, you take away forever his chance of discovering it himself' 

- Jean Piaget 

Through play children learn language, balance, social etiquette, numbers, reading, different roles in society and the list goes on and on and on.

What a gift we can give to our children when we 'observe more and enjoy most' - Magda Gerber

Be gentle on yourself,
Vanessa






For more information
Schemas: http://www.nature-play.co.uk/blog/schemas-in-childrens-play)