Sharing the Language of Love with Children

Reassure Children - Say "I Love You"

  One of the greatest pleasures of reading to children is reassuring them that we love them speaking the words out loud.

  According to Dr. Gary Chapman counselor and author of the series of books the "The Five Love Languages” for all members of the family, we can never say the words enough. He writes about all the ways we can say the words so other will understand and be reassured they are loved.

Although each child is a distinct individual with a distinct personality and individual “love languages."  One or more might be more powerful than the others.  The key according to Chapman is finding out the love language what works best for each of our loved ones and then communicating our love in their language.

Love Languages

Five Love Languages

  Dr. Gary Chapman’s five love languages are affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.

  If a child thrives on words of affirmation here are a few ideas from Dr. Chapman. Post encouraging words, praise, or other kind words on your children’s door, in their mittens, or lunch. Compliment your children in front of others.

   Catch your children doing well or something good and thank them. “Thank you for doing your chores today without be reminded.”

   Look for strengths and notice their strengths. Cut up an uplifting note into pieces so your older children can put the words together. Text message words of affirmation to your teens, twenties, and older children often. Let them know when choices are intelligent, kind, and thoughtful, rather than only speaking out when there is a need to correct.  Say, “I love you” often.

Love Books

  When families read out loud to children starting with babies we share all five of the love languages.  Here are some beautiful books that help us speak the language of love.

Visit Your Library - Checkout the "Love Books"

“Take Heart, My Children: A Mother’s Dream” by Ainsley Earhardt ; “ That’s Me Loving You” by Amy Rosenthal;  “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch; “I Love you, Stinky Face” by Lisa Mccourt; “Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney; “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams; “Juggle Puppy” by Sandra Boynton; “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” by Emily Martin; ”Molly Spreads Love Wherever She Goes” by Suzanne Marshall; “Mama, Do You Love Me? “by Barbara M. Joosse; “What Do You Love About You?” by Karen Lechelt; ‘I’m Wild About You” by Sandra Magsamen; “You Belong to Me” by Mamoru Suzuki;”This is Our Baby, Born Today” by Nancy Paulsen; “Sometimes We Think You Are a Monkey” by Johanna Skibsrud; “Everyone Says Goodnight” by Hiroyuki Arai; “At Night” Helga Bansch

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos 

For More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and http://grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Playing and Pounding Fresh Play Clay

Time for Playdough Fun!

  About this time in winter young children need to play with something new, and fresh. And families are hoping, inexpensive, please. Like adults, children become restless, out of sorts, and don’t quite know why.  They just are! Often they are like little growly grizzly bears.

  Part of the solution may be making a very simple warm recipe of play clay (dough) and sitting with the children to play, squash, and pound, too.

Cheryl’s Homemade Dough

  This play clay (dough) recipe takes about 15 minutes to make and doesn’t dry up for months in a freezer bag or tight container. It will stay fresh even longer 

Mix It Up In About 15 Min.

in the refrigerator.

  Here it is. Children can help measure the ingredients and stir.  Place 1 cup water, ½ cup salt, 1 teaspoon or more of food coloring and 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a 3- quart saucepan with no heat. Mix well. Stir in 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon cream of tartar. Cook and stir over medium to low heat until mixture begins to stick together. Do not allow it to become crusty on the bottom. Take out of the pan and cool slightly. Begin kneading like bread dough.

  Young children can help at each step with safety precautions. After cooling they will enjoy kneading the warm fresh dough and squishing it through their fingers.

  Kids love using all the traditional baking tools you may have around like rollers, shape cutters, cookie sheets, spoons, table knives, and cupcake pans. Hunt around the cupboards.   Sometimes the best playdough activities are those when you have nothing but playdough.

Squash and Pound

  Encourage them to pound, make snakes and sausages, and squash. It is a great tension reliever for all ages.

  Children can pound the pile of playdough with both hands, in an alternating rhythm, good for both side of the brain and the rest of their body. Show them how to roll large, medium, and small balls with both hands to developing bilateral coordination. Squash, and pound.

  They can make some pinch pots using the dominate hand. Isolate the thumb and keep the three middle fingers together to turn a big ball into a little flower pot. This exercise helps strengthen the handwriting finger position.

Be Creative!

  Children can create little 3D animals, people, and snowmen.  They love to decorate worms, snakes, and creative insects. Medium sized balls can become segmented caterpillars. They also like making cupcakes from large balls and decorating them.

  Roll out many long thin snakes to make a coil pot. Then fill with little balls for eggs, a bird, or flowers.

  Children can also make plates of food of long thin spaghetti, sausages, beans, chips, and peas. When finished, everyone can squash, pound, and store.

Sketch: Mark Nowicki   

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

More Ideas and Activities....see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org live and pod casts on WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Helping Kids Make Sense of Numbers

Subitizing - visual number sense!

When adults look at six dots on a dice we don’t need to count out the dots.  We automatically know the dots mean six. That number sense is called subitizing.

  When young children learn subitizing, this immediate recognition leads to mastering other math skills: learning math facts, doing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, problem solving and algebra later on. They learn that numbers are made of other numbers. The number 5, for example, is 1+4 or 2+3, and they won’t need to count each time.

  When they count larger numbers, they learn to start at a pattern they recognize immediately like 5 or 10 rather than 1 and become faster at math in their head or on paper.

Beginning Subitizing

  In Singapore, the number one country in math, families often play short math subitizing games to help children learn naturally while having fun. Parents do a few minutes here, a few minutes there while waiting in line, having snacks, or taking a walk. 

Talking Math and Having Fun

Talking math and having fun with math a little at a time make a big difference.

  You can start with numbers 1 through 5 by drawing a column of 5 attached rectangles on a piece of paper. Put one Cheerio in the first box and say “one.” Then it is your child’s turn to show “one.” Then put a cereal in each of the first two boxes and say “two.” Take turns all the way to five.

  Practice by holding up fingers and other objects. Play the same game by making rectangle box patterns found on dice and dominoes.  Once children can recognize two, three, four, five, and six dots without counting you’re are ready to play more games. This will take time over a period of days or weeks. All children are different.

 Subitizing Games

  You can play subitizing games randomly.  For example, ask children to grab and place a certain number of spoons on the table for dinner, pick out five crayons, or make a pattern of six pieces of fruit.

Make Subtilizing a Game

There are more games. Children like to play dominoes where you match dots. First, explain that an empty domino means nothing, having none, or zero. While playing, check if the children are counting or recognizing the number pattern and help them.

  Using dice, call out two numbers one through six. The odds of winning will be better if choosing two numbers. Roll the dice. If the player rolls a chosen number, he earns a penny or piece of cereal.

 Families can also purchase or make a card game of Go Fish with only dots or little fish, no numbers. More subitizing games are found on Google and Pinterest.  

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90 Learning Through the Seasons; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest