Pure fun. He loved it. He was falling off quite a lot but he didn't care. Maybe he felt like a big boy?
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Kindergarten- Day 7
It was raining today, which meant we didn't go outside - the teacher was surprised when I told we go out no matter what (ok, if it's raining cats and dogs, we might go out only once a day and for a short time, like to play in the puddles in front of our building because the dog wouldn't want to walk more than a few steps anyways- but I kept this for myself) - not the point, though, the point is I had time to observe the whole kindergarten class dynamics because about half of the kids come when we go outside, but today they came and had to stay in. This whole kindergarten experiment with Teodor is a great observation study for me, like seeing the theory in action.
Most of the kids (1.5-2.5? years) are sad. The only ones who seem fine are those who already have some kindergarten experience. There are a few crying newbies, especially one girl takes it really badly, she keeps crying all the time, which makes me feel really sorry for her. It is even sadder that the teachers are not able to distract the children (involve in some play), so they seem to be stuck in their misery. I am not really sure what exactly they should do, but those things the current teacher is trying to pull out seem not very age-appropriate (seems like she is suggesting activities for older kids), but she is really trying unlike the helping teachers who are just sitting surrounded by a few sad children, they just tell them to go to play.
It is also very interesting to watch how the children interact together. One has something interesting, the other ones join. Also how they deal when some other kid takes their toy. Or how the younger ones try to pull some social contact with each other, but it is simply awkward.
Montessori was totally right, children love to work with their hands and they choose tasks for practising fine motor skills. And they love to do this over playing with other toys (ok, Teodor loves the cars there, he might be a lost montessori case :)) The only problem is that there are not many toys for that and they are kept not very organized. Today we tried to cut some wooden fruits with Teodor (too difficult for him), but then one other girl joined, she enjoyed it a lot but there were so many missing pieces and the fruit was not kept in a separate basket, so it was generally impossible for the children to find and play. Another example from today: A girl found a shape sorterer and suddenly a lot of kids were around wanting to play with it. Interestingly enough, children older than Teodor were not much better than him :-O
I miss building blocks there so badly, also stacking cups/cubes, some musical instruments (what can be better than five children drumming, righ?), stacking rings, more of shape sorters, all toys easily accessible (they have jumping horses on a top shelv - wtf?), but mostly the building blocks. Children at this age love to build towers, they love stacking cubes/rings....it really seems to me that many toys are there for older children.
Anyway, Teodor was so excited today to play with the cars that he attempted to go to the playroom on his own (while I was eating breakfast in the changing toom), but got stuck in the middle. Here I got very disappointed with the teacher, she could have taken him to the classroom and could have played with him but she did nothing, so I had to go and save him. Another annoying thing is that the teacher said I should start training him to be there alone. When I saw the sadness in the classroom, I just thought why would I want to do that? I mean I want him to be there alone for a couple of hours per week, but I have no intentions to stress him, it is just not worth it. Plus I feel much better now (still vomitting a few times a day), so maybe if they start pushing, we won't go there any more...
Most of the kids (1.5-2.5? years) are sad. The only ones who seem fine are those who already have some kindergarten experience. There are a few crying newbies, especially one girl takes it really badly, she keeps crying all the time, which makes me feel really sorry for her. It is even sadder that the teachers are not able to distract the children (involve in some play), so they seem to be stuck in their misery. I am not really sure what exactly they should do, but those things the current teacher is trying to pull out seem not very age-appropriate (seems like she is suggesting activities for older kids), but she is really trying unlike the helping teachers who are just sitting surrounded by a few sad children, they just tell them to go to play.
It is also very interesting to watch how the children interact together. One has something interesting, the other ones join. Also how they deal when some other kid takes their toy. Or how the younger ones try to pull some social contact with each other, but it is simply awkward.
Montessori was totally right, children love to work with their hands and they choose tasks for practising fine motor skills. And they love to do this over playing with other toys (ok, Teodor loves the cars there, he might be a lost montessori case :)) The only problem is that there are not many toys for that and they are kept not very organized. Today we tried to cut some wooden fruits with Teodor (too difficult for him), but then one other girl joined, she enjoyed it a lot but there were so many missing pieces and the fruit was not kept in a separate basket, so it was generally impossible for the children to find and play. Another example from today: A girl found a shape sorterer and suddenly a lot of kids were around wanting to play with it. Interestingly enough, children older than Teodor were not much better than him :-O
I miss building blocks there so badly, also stacking cups/cubes, some musical instruments (what can be better than five children drumming, righ?), stacking rings, more of shape sorters, all toys easily accessible (they have jumping horses on a top shelv - wtf?), but mostly the building blocks. Children at this age love to build towers, they love stacking cubes/rings....it really seems to me that many toys are there for older children.
Anyway, Teodor was so excited today to play with the cars that he attempted to go to the playroom on his own (while I was eating breakfast in the changing toom), but got stuck in the middle. Here I got very disappointed with the teacher, she could have taken him to the classroom and could have played with him but she did nothing, so I had to go and save him. Another annoying thing is that the teacher said I should start training him to be there alone. When I saw the sadness in the classroom, I just thought why would I want to do that? I mean I want him to be there alone for a couple of hours per week, but I have no intentions to stress him, it is just not worth it. Plus I feel much better now (still vomitting a few times a day), so maybe if they start pushing, we won't go there any more...
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Kindergarten - Day 6
This night was quite challenging, so I was not sure if we were going, but he woke up after 6, so why not.
He loves the kindergarten because they have two boxes of cars there. So when we reached the main entrance, he started his mantra "brm-brm-brm", after changing his shoes and a pee break, he ran to the playroom to play with the cars. They have so many cars there that they keep him busy for an hour without me interfering, it makes me thinking maybe I should really get him more cars but probably not because then the kindergarten would lose its magic.
This time he liked the porridge, so he ate half of the plate. But he was the same hungry at the end of our stay there as in those days he wouldn't eat anything. In the middle of breakfast, he remembered the cars and was very determined to get back to play with them. He had to wait a bit for the other children to finish their food, so while waiting, I managed to get a bit more food into him.
Another playtime with the cars before going out, he was not happy to go out without "his" cars but I managed to persuade him and he found other cars to play with outside. And he finally dared himself to take a slide there. He can walk up the stairs all by himself, then seat himself and then let go and slide on his own.
Again he was not happy to leave, but he was dead tired when we reached home.
Even though the kindergarten is not a place where I would like to leave him full-time because it has very little in common with my views on raising children, I like it there and so does he. He is learning not to be afraid of other children and get what he wants before somebody else gets it. And where else would they have so many cars? Definitely not in a Montessori kindergarten :)
He loves the kindergarten because they have two boxes of cars there. So when we reached the main entrance, he started his mantra "brm-brm-brm", after changing his shoes and a pee break, he ran to the playroom to play with the cars. They have so many cars there that they keep him busy for an hour without me interfering, it makes me thinking maybe I should really get him more cars but probably not because then the kindergarten would lose its magic.
This time he liked the porridge, so he ate half of the plate. But he was the same hungry at the end of our stay there as in those days he wouldn't eat anything. In the middle of breakfast, he remembered the cars and was very determined to get back to play with them. He had to wait a bit for the other children to finish their food, so while waiting, I managed to get a bit more food into him.
Another playtime with the cars before going out, he was not happy to go out without "his" cars but I managed to persuade him and he found other cars to play with outside. And he finally dared himself to take a slide there. He can walk up the stairs all by himself, then seat himself and then let go and slide on his own.
Again he was not happy to leave, but he was dead tired when we reached home.
Even though the kindergarten is not a place where I would like to leave him full-time because it has very little in common with my views on raising children, I like it there and so does he. He is learning not to be afraid of other children and get what he wants before somebody else gets it. And where else would they have so many cars? Definitely not in a Montessori kindergarten :)
Monday, August 24, 2015
What we've been up to in the last weeks
Apart from bitching how difficult my life has become, we've been quite productive in the pauses between screaming :)
We took walks in the forest, he loved the terrain and the challenges it brought upon him.
Big wooden beads. He could get the bead on the string, but didn't understand how to move it to the string.
But he liked looking pretty :)
And enjoyed putting it on his finger a lot and then throwing it.
We also started to make "roads" for his train. (yay for sh-sh-sh)
He also started to improve his balance skills. He's so eager to practise, any time anywhere.
Regular trips on his motorbike and picking up pine cones.
Playing with his car in front of our building. We do it sometimes even twice a day.
Building towers.
Drawing. He became a serious artist. At least 3 metres of paper are used up in one session. He can also tell me what I should draw for him or he tells me what he had drawn.
Playing with waldorf blocks and learning more about balance.
Magic water pictures. Fun, fun, fun.
Playing in water.
Memo game. We are using it for naming the animals.
Two-piece puzzles - I don't have a picture, but he can find 3 out of 6 pairs and if I put them in a correct order, he can put them together. Pretty amazing for a 16-month old.
In his own bed
Kindergarten - Day 5
Teodor slept so well this night that I actually felt motivated to go this morning. We left the dog morning walk to the dad and took the earlier bus, so we could leave earlier.
We came at 8 and there was only one boy, he seriously has no problem with being in the kindergarten. Teodor seemed to be more self-confident in the classroom, not afraid of the boy and to go to get some cars. This morning it felt like we go there so he can play with cars and say "brm-brm-brm" again and again. Only a few more kids came till breakfast, which was good, Teodor really seems to mind other children less and less.
We came at 8 and there was only one boy, he seriously has no problem with being in the kindergarten. Teodor seemed to be more self-confident in the classroom, not afraid of the boy and to go to get some cars. This morning it felt like we go there so he can play with cars and say "brm-brm-brm" again and again. Only a few more kids came till breakfast, which was good, Teodor really seems to mind other children less and less.
Breakfast was disgusting, in my opinion nothing you should be giving to such young children, but it is a public institution with a limited budget, so I go with it, Teodor didn't like it anyway.
After breakfast there was some drawing time, something he enjoys a lot and then I asked him if he wanted to go home to which he answered no. So we went also outside with the group. He had a lot of fun playing in the sand and was not happy to go home, which we had to because his naptime was coming meaning it is time to get home as fast as possible, otherwise he would be very unpleasant on the public transport.
So I guess kindergarten tomorrow again.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Pauza od koně
Na začátek hned řeknu, že k tomu nemám žádný vznešený ani idealistický důvod, prostě na koně nemám čas.
Začalo to celkem nevinně, prostě jsem jeden den na koni nebyla, Teodor mě celej den nenechal sednout k počítači a ono se co? vůbec nic nestalo. A mě došlo, že je fakt čas koně na nějakou dobu utnout, protože to je strašne zabiják času. Jako díky koni jsem se dozvěděla o barefootu, AP, "nevýchově",...kůň je super, fakt jako jo, ale čeho je moc, toho je moc. Takže se tam kouknu jednou, dvakrát denně a konec. A o tom, co se u nás děje, budu psát tady...tady aspoň nikdo nemá blbý komentáře, aspoň zatím :)
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