Tell Me About Your Day
I want to post some sort of 'kid stuff' with some regularity. Lots of times it will be stuff like feather pens, but today I wanted to share something we do as part of our bedtime routine.
Little ones benefit greatly from a pattern of routine. It gives them a sense of comfort, because they know what's coming. It doesn't have to be complicated, just consistent. When it comes to bed time, some of it is practical - put on jammies, brush teeth and hair, wash faces. Some of it is transitional, too. In our home, we turn the lights down a bit. The radio is turned off (if it was even on) and we read a story or two on the couch. Then, my favorite part. I ask the kidlet, 'Tell me about your day.'
I ask 'Tell me about your day' for a few reasons. It's a nice way to review the day and remember the things we've done, but it's also a good exercise for brain development and cognitive learning. When we review the day together we can work on sequencing, vocabulary and recall of events.
She's only 2 1/2, so she misses some things, and she adds some things that didn't happen. For instance, she'll say, 'We went to the park, and I got a balloon at King Soopers (the supermarket).' when we actually did those things several days earlier. I tell her, 'Actually, sweetie, that was another day.' and I ask her about something relevant to today. (Do you remember the kitten we saw in the orchard?) We work through the day, chronologically, until we get to '...and then we read some bedtime stories'. I ask her what happens next, and she happily, willingly goes to bed. (99.9% of the time!)
It works really well for us. She (and I) look forward to it, and it seems to prevent 'One more story!' syndrome, hee hee. And you know what? I've noticed that when I go to bed, I spend a couple minutes reviewing my day, thinking over the things we did, what I accomplished, etc. It's turned into a way that I count my blessings - almost prayer-like. I sleep better too.
Wanna tell me about your day? Leave a comment! :)
Little ones benefit greatly from a pattern of routine. It gives them a sense of comfort, because they know what's coming. It doesn't have to be complicated, just consistent. When it comes to bed time, some of it is practical - put on jammies, brush teeth and hair, wash faces. Some of it is transitional, too. In our home, we turn the lights down a bit. The radio is turned off (if it was even on) and we read a story or two on the couch. Then, my favorite part. I ask the kidlet, 'Tell me about your day.'
I ask 'Tell me about your day' for a few reasons. It's a nice way to review the day and remember the things we've done, but it's also a good exercise for brain development and cognitive learning. When we review the day together we can work on sequencing, vocabulary and recall of events.
She's only 2 1/2, so she misses some things, and she adds some things that didn't happen. For instance, she'll say, 'We went to the park, and I got a balloon at King Soopers (the supermarket).' when we actually did those things several days earlier. I tell her, 'Actually, sweetie, that was another day.' and I ask her about something relevant to today. (Do you remember the kitten we saw in the orchard?) We work through the day, chronologically, until we get to '...and then we read some bedtime stories'. I ask her what happens next, and she happily, willingly goes to bed. (99.9% of the time!)
It works really well for us. She (and I) look forward to it, and it seems to prevent 'One more story!' syndrome, hee hee. And you know what? I've noticed that when I go to bed, I spend a couple minutes reviewing my day, thinking over the things we did, what I accomplished, etc. It's turned into a way that I count my blessings - almost prayer-like. I sleep better too.
Wanna tell me about your day? Leave a comment! :)
Comments
he called me twice, it was very emotional, and it drained me.
so tonight before i go to sleep, i will think about the day again, wrap all the sad feelings into some wonderful light and let them go. tomorrow is a new day.
hugs
D.
Love and hugs,
-L