[blparent] what to do with a toddler?

[Dianna Alley]

I agree with her live life to the fullest.  I can't believe mine is already 
two.  She is trying to count as well.  I do not know at this point if she 
knows any colors or not.  She can say letters and is saying several 
understandable words.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at pcdesk.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 11:05 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] what to do with a toddler?


> Hi, Pipi.  I'm sure you can find books and Web sites that will tell you 
> what skils children should be learning by certain ages, and ways you can 
> help that process along.  But I would strongly encourage you to take a 
> deep breath, relax, and enjoy your little girl!  She won't be little 
> forever, and to my way of thinking, there's plenty of time to worry about 
> achievement, or progress, or whatever you want to call it, later on. 
> She'll only be a toddler for a few short years.
>
> Daily structure is important, sure.  Sarah knows what to expect.  She has 
> regular snacks and meals, regular bedtime and naptime and waking up time. 
> We get outside any day that it's warm enough.  We play together, read 
> together, watch DVD's together.  But I don't worry from day to day about 
> gross motor skills, or any other skills, really.  If she wants to build 
> with blocks, that's what we do.  If she's into magnetic letters that day, 
> that's what we do.  Maybe it's a more laid back approach, but Sarah's 
> about six weeks shy of her third birthday, and she knows her shapes and 
> colors.  She can count to fifteen or so.  She knows some of her letters. 
> The rest will come in time.
>
> I'm not trying to discourage your ambitions, but just don't get so caught 
> up in lists and routines that you miss the surprises.  Childhood is too 
> great and too short to miss out on!
>
> Take care,
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "Some people see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that 
> never were and ask why not."--Robert F. Kennedy
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Pipi" <blahblahblah0822 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 10:40 PM
> To: <blv-moms at googlegroups.com>; <blindparenting at googlegroups.com>; 
> "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [blparent] what to do with a toddler?
>
>> Hey Y'all,
>> Sorry, I didn't really know how to title this email. Ramblings of the 
>> exhausted probably fits better. I'll try to keep it short.
>> Savannah turned 2 in November. I feel like all of my previous early 
>> childhood education has gone out the window and has no intention of 
>> coming back anytime soon.
>> I am wanting to do a more structured routine with her. I want to start 
>> preparing her for a routine of preschool and the likes. Other than simple 
>> routines such as bedtime, meals, brushing teeth twice a day, we don't 
>> have many others.
>> My first question is, is she too young for a home preschool atmosphere?
>> Another question, what should I be working on with Savannah? I've seemed 
>> to have forgotten these things. I know letters, numbers, colors, shapes, 
>> but what else? Is there some sort of online lesson plans I can look at to 
>> get ideas?
>> To get an idea of some of the things we do now, a typical day is filled 
>> with tons of book reading spread out, savannah watches sesame street, 
>> super y, or one of her dvd's,  she loves her play kitchen where i both 
>> play with her and let her play alone.  we color, occasionally get out the 
>> paint, play with mega blocks and wooden blocks, physical time with 
>> dancing, running, jumping, or playing in her tunnels. she has the tag jr. 
>> that she loves, clay, fridge phonics and other magnetic letters, numbers, 
>> and shapes.  There are other things that are escaping my brain now.
>> Obviously we don't do all of that in one day, but i do my best to keep 
>> her doing something, and then a break with a dvd or free play without me 
>> being involved thrown in there every so often.  I just want more of a 
>> routine for her, and also for myself so i can track the progress. I'm 
>> very list and chart orientated, and I don't have that now.
>> what should i be focusing on, for fine motor skills? large motor?  the 
>> basics i mentioned above? what am i forgetting.
>> what are some of y'all's daily routines?
>> I also want to try this out to gage my ability to possibly home school in 
>> the future if that is the path i choose.
>> I feel like I don't have much control right now. I don't mean over 
>> Savannah, but over how I'm raising her. I've finally started reading Dr. 
>> Sears and have other books that are coming up soon to read. I just need 
>> my nice neat list of things to do and i don't have it and it's driving me 
>> crazy.
>> Please help if you can.
>> Pipi
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>
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