Special Gardening Teaches Responsibility

Responsibility Grounds Kids

If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.

-   Abigail Van Buren

One way to teach age appropriate responsibility is to grow some tolerant plants that require little care for little children.

Outdoor Garden

  If you are planting a summer family garden select plants that germinate quickly, produce a crop quickly, and require minimum maintenance other than watering and feeding. There are a few plants that follow those criteria: snap peas, sun flowers, radishes, marigolds, 

Select Plants 

cherry tomatoes, pumpkins, carrots, and potatoes. Read and follow the directions on the package together. Examine the seeds and explain that there is a plant inside. Set plants are also available.

   In the case of potatoes explain that they are tubers, the swollen parts of underground stems. When you plant these tubers, the eyes (stems)will grow to create a new plant. Petunias, pansies, and fragrant herbs are also good choices for young children.

   Families can teach care based on needs like appropriate soil, sunlight, nutrients, enough water on a consistent basis, feeding, and protection from animals, insects, and weeds.

Planting Succulents

  Succulents can be enjoyed year around indoors and are very tolerant. There are 6000 varieties in 25 families. Some of them have flowers. They are beautiful, interesting, and sometimes strange looking arid plants so let the soil completely dry out like a dessert. Then water them like a sudden rain storm one evening and let them totally dry out again for weeks or months.

  To plant, find a large wide bowl or pot preferably with a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Mix a little sand in the potting soil to make it more porous and choose from a large variety of succulents. Children can plant a number of small ones and add tiny natural gravel or stones on top of the soil. They can add a few Lego people, too.

 Avoid high temperatures though.

Enjoy Succulents Year Round

Some of the most popular are hens and chicks, the multi colored rose shaped echeveria, burro’s tail, panda plant, spikey aloe, kalanchoe that has babies on the end of its leaves, curly succulents, rows of beads, baby toes, and many color choices. Succulent cacti should probably be avoided until children are much older.

  The most enjoyable part of succulents may be visiting stores with children and adding to the garden. Tiny ones are usually inexpensive and make great gifts.

 However, if your children like to water, try another child friendly plant like bamboo, not succulents. They come in many varieties and shapes and are fast growing. Whatever the choice, young children will be able to watch over and care for their plants with probable success.

  For more ideas to nurture responsibility see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons pod casts and live, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

Inspiring Children with Art Masterpieces

Explore A World of Diversity Through Art

People have always used art as a way to record an event, express themselves and their emotions. Children can learn a great deal from art since there is so much to observe and talk about.  By sharing art, families can open up a world of richness and diversity for children to explore.  You can search for art pieces either from a book, library (some loan pieces out), a visit to an art gallery, or online.

  While sitting next to your children, look at art together and discuss things that you see in the pictures. Talk about the clothing, colors, facial expressions, animals, light, shadows, or weather in the picture. Have a conversation about how the picture makes you both feel. Is it a happy picture? Does it look noisy or quiet? Does it look like a photograph from a camera? What might you change in the picture?

 Imagining

 Children can pretend to be in the painting running in the field 

Smell the Fields and Flowers

of flowers, smelling a sunflower, being knight riding off on a horse or an animal stalking prey. Children can make up a story surrounding a scene or have a treasure hunt looking for objects in paintings.

   Matching picture games are quiet activities. After downloading from a computer print two copies and cut one up. Your child can match and glue cutout details to the picture such as a child from the painting, an animal, or a piece of scenery.

Art Inspires

  Since artists are inspired by others, your children might enjoy copying a painting printed from a computer by using tracing paper over it and coloring it in. 

Trace Art That Inspires

They might like to draw their version of Van Gogh’s sunflowers, Turner’s storms, or Monet’s flower gardens.

 You may want to look up the Norman Rockwell Museum for” Saturday Evening Post “magazine covers that have inspired children to draw their own scenes that tell a story. Your children might enjoy painting flowers, sunsets, or scenery on a large rock to decorate the garden.

  Older children may like to copy geometric designs, patterns and bright colors of paintings by Mondrian. These help children use a ruler and protractor.

   Children can make their own at-home art 

Make a Home Art Gallery

gallery. Frame some of your children’s artwork. Display them on a wall or refrigerator. A string with clothespins or paper clips holding artwork adds color to rooms. When that space is full, move some to a special folder for safekeeping. Pictures can be scanned and saved in computer folders. The next time your family is on a picnic or walk in the woods bring along some art supplies and draw the scenery. Children around the world often do this on family outings.

photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

For more ideas see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/ Learning Through the Seasons live and pod casts.

Giving Children Time Out and Time in

Expect It - Behaviors Are A Challenge

Expect it. Young children test grandparents’ limits and do behaviors that are dangerous or disruptive. They break rules set by the parents. Families may avoid some power struggles by giving children several simple choices, planning ahead, setting up rules and expectations, and practicing desired behavior.  Recognizing tired, hungry, or ill children helps, too.   Preschoolers are able to follow simple rules, respond to command, have self-control to wait for things they want, and deal with frustration from not getting their way, usually.

Misbehavior Happens

   There are many reasons for misbehavior though: jealousy, a feeling they are not getting enough positive attention, frustration, and stress according to child psychologists. When children misbehave, they will usually get a lot of attention even though it is negative. Pediatricians recommend to avoid yelling, hitting, and getting too worked up during episodes.  This increases negative attention and reinforces getting out of control and being aggressive toward others.

   Experts with their own children suggest walking away and breathing deeply. If in a public place, remove the child. It is usually not possible to reach a child in the 

Strategies and Consequences

midst of a full blown tantrum until everyone is calm.

 Improving Behavior

   Some strategies that can work to improve children’s behavior include allowing children to see the “natural consequences” of actions. If they throw a toy (against the safety rules) or break it, then they can't play with it.

   There are “logical consequences.” If they don't put toys away, the toys will have a “time out” and be unavailable for a reasonable time.

 There is “withholding privileges.” 

Activities children enjoy like playing Legos or watching their favorite show are taken away for a few days until children earn them back.

  Then there is “time out” of one minute for each year of age regulated by a timer. The “time out” is silence in a special place with no toys, not in their room, but where they can be observed and ignored. Everyone takes a break. Afterwards there is a gentle clear discussion of the broken rule, what went wrong, what expectations must be followed, and checking for understanding. 

  “Extinction” is another discipline technique that may work with a school age child. When a child misbehaves or is disruptive, the adult stops paying attention to the child. This approach is best for temper tantrums, frequent whining, or other disruptive type behaviors.

Firmness, Consistency and Calm

  Pediatricians stress to be firm, consistent, calm, use a normal volume, and loving manner. Talk about appropriate behavior when all are calm.  It’s only the behavior adults don’t like, not the child. 

  Family reward or token systems can also be effective in changing bad behaviors. Experts suggest writing down basic house rules on the refrigerator, sticking to them, and reviewing often. 

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos 

For “time in” activities see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning through the Seasons.

Writing Personalized Books with Preschoolers

Talk and Draw Personalized Books

Young children may not be able to form their letters yet, but they are able to talk and draw.  All they need are family members to help them write a personalized book. Children like to talk about themselves and be the complete focus of an adult’s attention.

  Gather some computer paper, pencils, crayons, and markers. Explain that you are going to make a little book together to share with others to read on the next Face time with a loved one, a gift, or a book to add to the book box.

Talk Together

 The first step to writing is talking. You can talk together and take some notes for the sentence you will write for them in their words. 

   The topic is all about me, but there are many sentence 

Stories About Your Pets Are Fun

starters to help approach the topic: I am happy when… My favorite (inside or outside) things to do are … These are the things I can do (jump, run, pet my dog, sing, tell a story, set the table, ride my trike, cuddle, hug, smile, play a game, draw, throw a ball … Let me tell you about (child’s name) ....   Take out a mirror or take a picture to help them describe their hair, eyes, smile, teeth or missing teeth, busy fingers, wiggly toes, favorite clothing.

 Virtues are always good book starters: I am thankful for… I am kind when I… I show respect when I… I help when I... I show love when I... I am helpful when….

Family Teaching

   The topic may be something the family is teaching right now like self-control: I am kind to my brother when I… When I am angry I can…I am courteous when…I am prayerful when I… I help stay healthy when I….

  They can write about favorite foods, animals, places to go, colors and things to do in every season. Children can also write about the healthy habits and foods they know are good for them.

  After talking, take out three pieces of paper and fold them in half to make a small book. Together choose a few sentences to write as a captions for their illustrations.

Finish Off Your Writings Into a Book

   Talk about what they would like to draw for each sentence. They can draw illustrations on separate pieces of paper that can be cut out and glued in the book. Draw with them. You can show how to draw stick people and add features and clothes. Give a little help only if they are stuck. When finished add a cover, date, and staple together. You can reinforce the binding with packaging tape over the staples. Some pages can remain empty for another writing time together.

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

  For more ideas see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons live Tuesdays and Saturdays, and pod casts, Pinterest, and Facebook.