Sunday, July 18, 2010

Day 2, Imagination Stirs!


Well, day two of our little experiment was better. They only asked for the TV/Computer a handful of times and were more resigned when I directed them elsewhere. They actually found some things to do by themselves today, too. They spontaneously played a board game together and even did a little imagination play.
Wow, though. TV is so much cleaner than 4 children using their imagination. I was reminded today that this is as much an experiment for me as for them. I have to let go a little and let there be more of a mess for the cause of non-zombie-brained kiddos. I had to repeat that thought continually as I wiped water off the bathroom floor and swept the kitchen floor for the third time in as many hours.
My plan is to be more involved some days and let them fend for themselves more on other days. Today was a fend for themselves day. Tomorrow is an involved day. We're starting our Helen Keller week. I've been looking forward to this. We're reading a book, watching the movie (it's educational and I'm doing it with them so it's excluded from our screen-free time), learning some more sign language and going to the library to learn more about braille and then we're planning a trip to Helen Keller's birthplace which is not far from here! You're welcome to come along.

7 comments:

hope said...

Isn't that a picture from our trip??

I think it's so cool you are doing Helen Keller this week. Are you homeschooling as a permanent thing, or supplemental summertime thing?

Andrea Hardman said...

Yes, Hope. That is from our trip and has nothing to do with the post except I think it maybe stirs imagination to wonder what it is. :) And I don't homeschool, just a supplemental summer thing.
I'm serious when I say we'd love company when we do our field trip!

Jessica M said...

Kids imagining always leaves my house a disaster. I have to tell myself that it's worth it. It is worth it...it is worth it.

Shannon said...

You are an awesome mom! Congrats on the new house and have fun decorating (that's my favorite part). We just visited Jack's family in Tennessee and it was weird to be called Miss Shannon by kids. You are probably use to all that by now.

Queeey said...

Let us know when your going, my kids want to go again. Okay, they really want to go to the park down the street again but I think they'd visit the museum again if they had the incentive of playing with kids at the cool park after wards.

Sieler-Lindsay Family said...

I had it so lucky when my kids where younger -- in Arizona -- a farmer's huge field to play in and in Washington, a forest --
hang in there. My dad would cut the tv cord when I was growing up both for effect and to make the tv totally non-workable ! Then he would fix it in a couple of weeks :)
Love you guys -- life looks so fun in your house.

Julie said...

oh this sounds awesome... what is the book you are reading...maybe that is in another post...sorry trying to catch up!@