[Nfb-krafters-korner] Looking around

[Ramona Walhof]

Dick, you are doing exactly the right thing by encouraging your nephew to 
get his hands into things.  He learns a great deal by looking with his 
hands.  Of course, there are times when he should not look with his hands. 
He should not put them all over other people, except in very special 
environments.

In the archives of this list there are some summer fun with kids ideas that 
might be interesting to you.

On the nfb.org Web Site there is a quarterly publication called Future 
Reflections which is for parents and educators of blind children.  You can 
also subscribe to it in hard coppy print.

Most of the crafts on this Web Site won't help blind children develop good 
social skills with their piers, so other activities may be better much of 
the time.  However, crafts will build dexterity, and whatever will interest 
him and keep him active is better than inactivity.

This is a huge topic because it takes a lot of advocacy to raise a blind 
child and a lot of cooperation, (which doesn't always happen easily) but use 
any ideas you can find, and don't be afraid to try new things.  Also, don't 
be afraid to contact people you identify with, including any of us on this 
listserve..

Ramona Walhof
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dick Carlson" <dick.carlson0428 at earthlink.net>
To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 12:28 AM
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Looking around


> Hello everyone,
>
> I'm Dick and found out about this list through a teacher who works with 
> blind kids.  I hope this list is for everyone, including sighted folks.
>
> I am helping to raise my little nephew, and he's a totally blind kid who 
> is perhaps a tad socially delayed for his age.  I mainly try to spend a 
> lot of time with him and wanted to see how much he and I could do together 
> to stimulate him a bit.  He has been very over-protected by his mom, who 
> means very well but sometimes doesn't know whether or not to let him do 
> things on his own.
> I realize most guys don't really get into crafts, but I think working with 
> your hands can be fun and I have no problem with it.
> I hope there are other guys on this list to share with as well.
>
> One of the things my little nephew is not used to doing or maybe doesn't 
> like doing is to do a lot of exploring with his hands.  He's not been 
> encouraged.  In addition, he doesn't really like getting his hands dirty 
> or into things, because he's always been taught to sit still and stay 
> clean and all that stuff that most children don't do!
> I'd love to expose him to this sort of thing and perhaps get into things 
> where it will be inevitable for us to put our hands in things and get a 
> little messy.
>
> Is this out of the ordinary for blind kids, and am I doing the right thing 
> by wanting to work with him and play doing things with him?  Is this a 
> good list for good crafts and such?
>
> I'd love feedback and ideas.
>
> Dick Carlson
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