Julie Stauffer

Sandra,

Once again you may have saved my family from the brink of utter despair <g>

My Danny has been making the entire family nuts. He is a bull in a china
shop, running full speed and at full volume, beginning before the sun comes
up. He wants what he wants when he wants it. He's only 3 after all, but
with 2 siblings that are very close in age and size, the fur can really fly.
I have always tried distracting him and he would simply flop on the floor,
whining and yelling over and over, or worse follow people around the house
doing it, until somebody would eventually get really mad.

I read what you wrote about removing him from the situation and having him
do real work with me. It worked like a charm. He was happy helping me sort
papers. The girls were happy playing with the toys. But the "realness"
seemed to be a major factor, like it re-established that he is an integral
part of the family, or something.

Thanks once again.

Julie

[email protected]

<< Once again you may have saved my family from the brink of utter despair
<g> >>

I love when that happens!

You're welcome.

Probably lots of people here will have Montessori quotes or (better) personal
testimonials about real work and being with adults instead of being given
"kid busy-work."

It is kinda magical, sometimes, for little kids AND big kids.

When other adults ask for help from my 12 or 15 yr olds I can just see them
straighten up and get clear-headed. It's great. They don't usually do the
same for me, although today Marty was a marvelous help and I bought him a CD
he wanted (for going shopping and tree-shopping, and helping me with Holly
and gift-picking and tree-loading and just being all around cool).

Sandra

Stacey/Dan Martin

<<Probably lots of people here will have Montessori quotes or (better)
personal
testimonials about real work and being with adults instead of being given
"kid busy-work." It is kinda magical, sometimes, for little kids AND big
kids.>>


When Jared was two he had pneumonia. We bought him a plastic tool set to
keep him occupied while he was convalescing. (Yeah, right.) He was much
happier with our battery powered screwdriver. He was especially jazzed by
flipping the switch that reversed the direction of the driver allowing him
to screw and unscrew into an old board to his heart's content. Which he
did. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over and over...

Later that year Grandpa visited and was horrified by the fact that Jared
stood on a chair at the counter, sink, stove - wherever we were working - so
he could be involved. Grandpa went right out and bought him a Fisher-Price
kitchen. For safety, you know. Jared loved that, too. But only until he
was finished putting it together with the REAL screws and tools! <G>

Now he's twelve. Last summer at the HSC conference he spent the whole time
doing 'real' work behind the scenes rather than attending the kids' program.
He was in his glory on the loading dock carrying boxes for vendors,
stuffing literature bags, staying up late to tape off the exhibitor booths,
carrying the clipboard.

This is all good news for parents, grandparents, and other gift-givers, of
course. Think of the money that can be saved by NOT buying all those
cutesie, plastic, *just-like-the-real-thing* toys. Just go out into the
garage and wrap up a rake!

-Stacey















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