For the littlest one, a book or two to lull eyes closed work wonders.
For the older one~ rest time no longer involves sleep but quiet.
A few lifesavers:
stack of favorite books (naturally)
Audiobooks, "because sometimes I like to read without pictures, Mama." Present Favorite: Heidi
I Spy Books, or Where's Waldo
Paper Dolls
A notebook and pen, marker or writing utensil... for this:
Her idea, not mine. Now I *could* be all frustrated that she is not even trying to sound words out by spelling them.
But I am not.
Because the more she writes, the more proficient she becomes; the better form of letters, the straighter and more uniform size, etc. Most especially, the more her love of the written word grows.
Maybe she isn't reading books yet (like I had hoped), but there is no disputing one of her great loves...and that devotion to the written word is the most important thing of all.
We have the same quiet time activities, Rebecca. One of my favorite parts of the day. :0) Thank you for the sweet anniversary wishes!
ReplyDelete~Kelli
Oh, my goodness, her handwriting is beautiful for such a little girl! It's nice to see penmanship in the works...so many people don't even bother these days. I think good handwriting is a lost art, don't you?
ReplyDeleteHi, again, Becka! I thought you might enjoy this paper doll site:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.midpa.com/betsymccall/
I used to play with Betsy McCall dolls when I was little, and always looked forward to her appearance in McCall's magazine. Hope you and Corynn have fun with her, too!
Hi Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sweet visit to my blog. This particular post of yours really brings back memories for me. I remember Elizabeth doing the same in quiet times. I pushed hard for reading at 4 and I achieved it, but the results were pedantic. I relaxed and she flourished. She's now a voracious reader and quite the writer. You can meet her at elizabethunruh.blogspot.com
I encourage you to let the love of reading develop as love develops best, slowly and personally. All of my girls are avid readers and we never repeated the 4-year-push. Enjoy your sweet moments with your sweet ones. : )
I was impressed with the tidy precision of her letters. She's doing so well!
ReplyDelete