Monthly Archives: September 2010

For One Day I Was The Best Mom Ever

Posted on by
7

About a month ago, we hosted E’s fourth birthday at our local Romp n’ Roll.  I hemmed and hawed (mostly because it sounds funny) over not having it at our home.  We’ve had EVERY BIRTHDAY PARTY at our house.  And I spend the night before and the day of stressing about cleaning my home and entertaining everyone and cleaning my home and feeding everyone and cleaning my home.  Oh yea, and cleaning my home.  So the the twenty-four hours before each birthday party my husband gets to spend managing my stress (read: obnoxiousness).  And we had a lot going on in August.  So I asked the expert.

Me: E, where do you want your birthday party?

E: I don’t know

Me {weakly}: Romp n’ Roll?

E: YES!

So I make the call and set up the party.  I worry about the expense and would it be worth it.  I worry about who we would invite and if parents would think I was over-the-top. I feel like the laziest mom ever.

Also, I’m the think-i-est mom ever.

Within ten minutes of arrival, my son’s face has a HUGE smile on it.  And it never fades.  Through the free play, the songs, the art project, the moon bounce and the bubble dance, he is smiling and running and full of four-year-old joy.

E: I’m at Romp n’ Roll with ALL MY FRIENDS! YAY!

And at the end, when we singing Happy Birthday to him again, all he can do to express his utter joy is to yell.  Like a true WHOOP!

And I tear up (seriously).  Because as a mom, I don’t have many days where I lay down in bed and think I GOT THIS PARENTING THING TODAY.

But on hot night in August, I laid down and grinned ear-to-ear.

Because for one day, I was the best mom ever.

And I high five.  Myself.  (Mostly because my husband is already sleeping and Romp n’ Roll isn’t a person.)

Alex Iwashyna blogs at Late Enough mostly about life, parenting, marriage, politics, zombies, culture, religion, and her inability to wake up in the morning and not hate everyone.  She also facilitates a local parenting class called Nobody Told Me! (because OBVIOUSLY) and runs the web content for the Blogger Body Calendar. Feel free to find her on Facebook or the Twitter @L8enough.  But don’t call.  She’s NOT a phone person.

The Value of Repetition in the Learning Process

Posted on by
Reply

One question we are often asked is why we include some repetition in the Romp n’ Roll curriculum.  How does it benefit a child to repeat activities and songs?

Repetition actually is extremely beneficial to young children on three levels.  First, numerous studies have shown that repetition allows them to absorb information more easily and retain it for longer periods of time.  Keep in mind that when it comes to attention, comprehension, and memory, your child’s abilities are not as well developed as yours.  While you may understand and appreciate the concepts and principles involved in a particular activity right away, your child needs to be exposed to the activity several times in order to fully take advantage of it. 

Second, it is important to keep in mind that educational development needs to proceed horizontally as well as vertically.  Many parents conceptualize educational development as climbing a ladder.  Once you’ve reached one rung, it is time to move up to the next.  But educational development is better conceptualized as building a pyramid.  The bottom layers need to be wide and firm if they are going to fully support the higher layers.  Lifting your child up to totally new activities too quickly results in a very shaky structure.  Giving your child the chance to thoroughly and completely experience each activity creates the strong and solid foundations required for future success.

And third, as your child moves on to the next class, there actually is very little “repetition” taking place at all.  Heraclitus of Ephesus, the ancient Greek philosopher, said it best: “No one steps in the same river twice.”  Like a river, your child’s educational development is constantly advancing, and it is advancing at a very rapid rate during the early years.  Consequently, while the activities may be similar, your child is decidedly different.  Each activity is being experienced with new interests, new insights, and new skills, making it every bit as exciting, enjoyable, and beneficial as it was the first time around.  Again, while you may feel it is repetitive to be doing a similar type of activity again in your Romp n’ Roll class, if you look at your child, I doubt you will see the slightest trace of boredom, but instead significant developmental progress.

The Real Risk Regarding Young Children’s Physical Activities

Posted on by
Reply

Autumn is coming, and it is not just the leaves that will be falling.  During the early years of life, children are chomping at the bit to explore and investigate the world around them.  And as they develop the capacities to crawl, walk, jump, and climb, they eagerly indulge their natural curiosity every chance they get.  As they enrich themselves mentally, they also are driven by a desire for independence that inspires them to regularly challenge their improving physical skills in an effort to determine how much they can actually accomplish.

Consequently, early childhood is a critical period for building educational foundations and establishing the roots of self-esteem.  The more young children are allowed to explore and investigate on their own, the better they learn.  And the more challenges they are permitted to accept and master by themselves, the greater their self-image and sense of confidence.

Of course, young children tend to be naïve and clumsy at first, so they can get into trouble too.  Even if parents take proper precautions in terms of providing an essentially safe environment (such as a child-proofed home or a Romp n’ Roll class), it is inevitable the kids will collect some minor bumps, bruises, and abrasions on occasion.

Unfortunately, outsiders can make mothers and fathers feel guilty about such events.  As a result, some parents feel pressured to impose extensive restriction and supervision on the activities of their young children.

This is a shame.  Although being reasonably careful and vigilant is wise, going overboard is highly detrimental.  In the long run, these minor mishaps really are a small price to pay for optimal progress in educational development and personality formation. 

So when your child takes an occasional tumble, try not to overreact.  Remember that each little bump, bruise, or abrasion is merely an emblem of merit for your insatiable learner and a badge of courage for your bold adventurer.