Today has been a true stay-at-home day, which is something I both need and hate.
A day of not running any errands tends to be very productive, as I get all sorts of little things of little consequence to anyone else done (like putting EOBs in the healthcare binder or scrubbing the drains). But around mid-day, I also start to go a little bonkers, especially since M begins to tire. At four years old, though, he is tired enough to be whiney and needy, but not tired enough to actually nap.
I am long past being the stay-at-home mom who tries with great abandon to "do things" with my child. With N, I was forever doing projects that would stimulate her brain.....arts, crafts, playing grocery store with her fake food. I was smug about how she didn't really need preschool because we did lots of things at home to help her learn. And that was true, even if it was smug.
Child #3 needs preschool. I have never taught M his letters, numbers, done arts and crafts or anything with any pre-planning or sincere concentration. There is too much laundry and cooking and other stuff to do. When I feed him marshmallows (which the first child didn't eat until she was 6 or something), I do ask him to count them, so I'm not completely useless.
I did have a moment, though, today when I realized that me being a mostly preoccupied stay-at-home mom on my true stay-at-home days is not such a bad thing. I don't need to go all Pinterest-y on myself and be the same kind of mom I was when I just had a singleton.
As I was piddling around, M grabbed his dinosaur and bug toys, parked himself at the dining room window and started playing in the sunshine. He called me over to look at their shadows, a game he plays regularly. I watch and give him suggestions on how if he turns the figure this way and that way, its shadow looks bigger, longer, more detailed, etc.
This is preschool science.
He is learning.
I am hanging back, watching him, moving between what I have to do and being present with him for the few minutes that my brain can stand it before I get bored with this preschool fun.
And that is good enough.
A day of not running any errands tends to be very productive, as I get all sorts of little things of little consequence to anyone else done (like putting EOBs in the healthcare binder or scrubbing the drains). But around mid-day, I also start to go a little bonkers, especially since M begins to tire. At four years old, though, he is tired enough to be whiney and needy, but not tired enough to actually nap.
I am long past being the stay-at-home mom who tries with great abandon to "do things" with my child. With N, I was forever doing projects that would stimulate her brain.....arts, crafts, playing grocery store with her fake food. I was smug about how she didn't really need preschool because we did lots of things at home to help her learn. And that was true, even if it was smug.
Child #3 needs preschool. I have never taught M his letters, numbers, done arts and crafts or anything with any pre-planning or sincere concentration. There is too much laundry and cooking and other stuff to do. When I feed him marshmallows (which the first child didn't eat until she was 6 or something), I do ask him to count them, so I'm not completely useless.
I did have a moment, though, today when I realized that me being a mostly preoccupied stay-at-home mom on my true stay-at-home days is not such a bad thing. I don't need to go all Pinterest-y on myself and be the same kind of mom I was when I just had a singleton.
As I was piddling around, M grabbed his dinosaur and bug toys, parked himself at the dining room window and started playing in the sunshine. He called me over to look at their shadows, a game he plays regularly. I watch and give him suggestions on how if he turns the figure this way and that way, its shadow looks bigger, longer, more detailed, etc.
This is preschool science.
He is learning.
I am hanging back, watching him, moving between what I have to do and being present with him for the few minutes that my brain can stand it before I get bored with this preschool fun.
And that is good enough.
1 comment:
You have to do what works for you - I did interact with my children when they were little at home, but with Harper I was also going to graduate school and then I had two. :-) I will say, my children know how to entertain themselves because they've always had time to play on their own, self-direct their play, to explore. It doesn't make a good pintrest board but I think it's a valuable life skill. Sounds like your kiddos have it, too!
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