Mom what can we do today?

Good question. When little ones get up they have the whole day ahead of them...they see the day through the eyes of challenges, opportunities and brand new adventures. Perhaps not so mom, as she looks at the day through the eyes of compiled lists of things that she has to do and ways to keep her little ones busy while she accomplishes these tasks. It is really easy to just turn on the t.v. and have that technology become the babysitter of the house. Now don't get me wrong....there is a time and place for that activity but the most educational and exciting ones come shared with an adult. You need to plan ahead and introduce a few reading activities each day into your child's life.
For instance if you are busy getting dinner and the kids are driving you crazy, place a blanket on the floor in the kitchen, pile some good books on the blanket, a few stuffed animals and let your child read to you/the stuffed animals/or maybe even a real one if there's one around. Another reading activity that will work is to give your child some old magazines, a child-safe pair of scissors and let him/her cut out pictures. You can use old grocery flyers also, anything with pictures that you can cut up. Be creative, find fun ways that are inexpensive to engage your child with words. If you have made up some words cards buy some brightly coloured clothespins from the dollar store, some heavy string or rope and put up a little clothes line between two chairs. Hand those cards to your child with the pins and have them first read the words aloud and then pin them up on the line. There are millions of ways to have fun with reading. You don't necessarily have to use books. Some recipe books come with fabulous, life-size illustrations. Let your child browse through the cookbook while you make dinner. This will generate all kinds of words centered about the theme of food. Wouldn't it be fun that out of that activity your child got to choose one of those pictures for you guys to prepare together for tomorrow night"s dinner? Go ahead. Challenge your child today. When your child says. "Mom what are we going to do today?" You will be ready to go. Read on.