"Mommy, may I help?"

Young children have a naturally inquisitive side. They want to explore the world around them. And, they love to help!

Joey and Ezra are quite quick to say, "Mommy, may I help?" While a part of me wants to accomplish a task as quickly as possible, another part of me wants to include my children in the activities I do. By doing so, the child fulfills a love of curiosity, learns life lessons and skills, and recognizes his own value in the family (and in the world). Me? I learn patience, rediscover the excitement of my tasks, and bond with my children by completing activities together.

When we allow children to help direct some of their learning by engaging in activities of interest, children learn at an accelerated rate. For example, both Joey and Ezra have learned a lot about harvesting food and seeds by helping to glean seeds from okra, scoop and separate seeds and roasted meat from pumpkins, cut up apple chunks for boiling into sauce, as well as gathering an assortment of food from the gardens: potatoes, green bell peppers, scallions (their favorite to harvest), basil and oregano, tomatoes, etc. Joey would sit for hours popping popcorn kernels from the cobs.

But, here's the catch. I did not ask or demand my children to do any of these things! Either Russell or I started working on a project and the boys merrily joined in. As Joey gets older, he's asking to do more and more: gather eggs from the coop, help carry firewood (especially when we're loading up the stoves), vacuum dust from the floor, even cleaning the bathroom. It surprises me every time Joey expresses such interest in exploring the world around him. However, I am certain that if I did not allow him to help, but denied his desire to help, he would stop asking.

Now there is a caveat. While allowing my children to perform the tasks they want, I also set boundaries to help them be safe while learning about the necessities of life activities. For example, they know to only handle blunt butter knives when helping with cutting fruits or vegetables, and only when they ask Mommy or Daddy first. Similarly, while Joey and Ezra can help carry wood to the fireplace, they know they are not allowed to put wood into a burning stove. Both boys know they have to wash their hands with soap and water before helping prepare food. There is a plentitude of opportunity to gently teach children what such boundaries are, as well as why they are important. Setting such boundaries takes time and consistent reminding, but over time beneficial boundaries will stay with the child.

So, the next time your young (or older) child asks to help, consider it an opportunity for learning. Learning is not restricted to "academic" subjects and even the academic subjects - reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, etc. - are evident in the simplicity of day-to-day life. Consider what your child will need to know and how the routines in everyday life are just as important to master as correctly pronouncing phonemes as a basis for reading. 

Let your child help! And, take a moment to post about it in the comments section below.

Paper, paper, everywhere

Paper infiltrates our lives. In our household, there are piles of newspaper and junk mail, a box for recycling paper-based containers that once held store-bought food, in addition to the construction paper and graph paper and lined paper bought new from a store. It can be overwhelming, this amount of paper that seems to slither from under baseboards in the dark of night; and yet, with a little creative effort, this commodity can not only provide an immense amount of educational tools, but also tons of fun in the process.

Previously, I mentioned the use of recycled containers for practice in pinpointing particular letters of the alphabet, perhaps by using stickers to plop on a letter or markers to circle them. Magazines and newspaper are useful for the same purpose. In order to practice cutting skills, preschoolers can cut out specified letters, pictures for a glue-stick created collage or decorated notecards, etc. Perhaps you could have your child hunt for pictures that start with particular letters; write out tangible nouns on slips of paper and have the child match those words to their corresponding pictures; or create your own word-picture game for plenty of fun learning.

Most children love the art of folding newspapers. Airplanes, kites, and hats are perhaps the most well-known creations from folded papers. But an Internet search on origami will also yield folded lilies, swans, and myriad shapes that can also be painted or decorated and given as gifts. Perhaps you could create unique ornaments to hang on trees, walls, and even as pendants or earrings or headbands or button-hole additives for people you love. Or, and especially if you are averse to cut flowers or know someone with allergies, you could fold flowers from paper that is painted and plopped into a vase for a lovely arranged bouquet.

The boys love to doodle and draw, write letters, and copy words and phrases. Papers with such colorful and unique patterning make excellent gift wrap, writing paper or cards, scraps for future crafts and projects. Some people use paper as starter for their wood stoves, others shred it for package stuffing; some, drench it for weed control in their gardens; others, sort if for recycling or composting. So, instead of pitching your pile of paper in the trash, consider creative ways to make that paper an educational tool for your children. And, share your creative tips with others!

With or without glycerin?

My boys love to bubble their milk. Whether that cup of creamy white drink was just used for dipping cookies or accompanies their favorite food, the meal usually ends with opaque bubbles rounding off the top of their cups. Joey and Ezra also love chasing soapy bubbles through the front garden or blowing them from the top of their play tower.

Recently - when the weather warranted short-sleeved shirts - we took soapy bubbles, repurposed styrofoam trays, and straws outside, so that they could create bubble mounds. Needless to stay, the boys loved this sticky mess (and I was glad we did this outside). We made observations about the bubble making process and the fluids we used, and even compared the result from soapy water to the results of trying to bubble milk, plain tap water, and honey. Although our "discussion" was low-key, as my oldest is only 4, this project could reveal some insightful scientific and mathematical conversations for older children. You could discuss the surface area of a sphere, for example, which is the shape a bubble takes for purposes of minimalization; the layering of a bubble's "skin" - including the hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions of a soap molecule; the hexagonal structure that bubbles make when they prolificate (this includes discussion of the 120 degree angle formed when bubble walls meet); etc. You can observe, journal, or draw the prism of color that forms across a bubble's sheen and discuss the physics of light. There are so many opportunities waiting for you in the common bubble!

I incorporated this love of blowing through straws with another of the boys' loves: paint (or in this case, food-coloring-tinged water). Joey and Ezra blew paint across paper, which we used for homemade thank-you and note cards once the paint had dried. They explored the saturation of color by dipping bright white cotton balls into the painted water and splotching the paint in trails across the paper, too. The boys quickly noticed the difference between blowing glycerin-infused water and colored tap water. And, this artistic endeavor can hold a wide-range of creative twists. Consider trying these projects and share how you incorporated it into your day.

And, have fun learning!