[blparent] activities that can be done with children

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Honestly, I think that learning toys and videos and preschool can be praised 
up to the skies, but the most important thing that you can do for your 
little girl is to involve her in your lives.  Talk to her about everything 
you're doing--even if it's just a monologue about what you are putting in 
the dishwasher or what you are picking out at the grocery store.  Talk to 
her about how you put arms into sleeves so you can wear a jacket, and how 
you take peas out of the freezer and pour them in a bowl to heat up in the 
microwave.  Talk to her about the cold or sunny weather outside, the siren 
you hear going by in the street, the buzzing noise the dryer makes when it's 
done with the clothes ... and so on, and so on.

Read books with your child.  Again and again, it's been proven that reading 
in the early years is vital.  Tell nursery rhymes to your child.  Sarah got 
the "Wee Sing Mother Goose" CD as a gift, and it's been wonderful.  I really 
think singing along with the rhymes was what sparked her interest in 
learning to talk.  Sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "You are My Sunshine" or "The 
Ants Go Marching One by One" or whatever you remember from your own 
childhood.

Don't underestimate the small, seemingly meaningless, moments.  I was 
getting Sarah up from her nap one day.  There's a bunk bed in her room, 
though she still sleeps in her crib for now.  She asked me to sit down on 
the lower bunk, and then she started playing with some stuffed animals. 
>From that spontaneous incident, there developed a daily ritual, and now 
waking up from naptime is something we both look forward to because we spend 
fifteen or twenty minutes on that bunk bed with no phone, no computer, no 
distractions.  Before she goes to bed at night, we sit or sprawl on some 
chair cushions that we put on the floor, and just sort of slow down 
together.  Don't underestimate your roles as Mommy and Daddy.  You are still 
the center of your toddler's world, and at least in my opinion, that's 
okay--even preferred--for a long while yet.

There's nothing wrong with exposing your child to other kids.  Sarah is 
drawn to children in the stores and at church, and I deliberately set up 
outings for her.  Recently a good friend of mine took her to McDonalds to 
play--I couldn't go because I've had the dratted flu--and last summer, she 
went to the park and the pool often.  But the quiet time you enjoy together, 
in my way of thinking, is absolutely essential.  The other day, Sarah and I 
were out on our patio.  I would pick up rocks from the flower beds, and she 
would gleefully toss them back out over the rail of the patio again.  She 
started saying, "Hi, rock," as she picked up each one, and "Bye bye, rock," 
as she tossed it over the rail.  Then we started counting each rock as she 
let it go.  It was something I'll always remember and treasure, and in my 
mind, it was one tiny building block in her education and personality that 
will last a lifetime.

Sorry for the long post, but this is a real soapbox topic of mine.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "DIANNA ALLEY" <dianna24 at earthlink.net>
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 10:29 PM
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blparent] activities that can be done with children

> My little one is 14 months old now and I was wondering what activities I 
> can do to promote learning.  I already to her and we watch some shows on 
> sprout together as well as letting her play with different learning toys. 
> What else can I do.  She is stuck with me and her daddy only for now.  I 
> am looking into a day care program because I feel she needs a challenge. 
> I feel this school/ day care can provide this.  She can go to it through 
> pre Kay.
> I also have a question about that.  Is their any programs that provide 
> grants for programs like this.  I feel she need to be around others not us 
> me and her daddy.  We don't know anyone with children.
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