Author Topic: When did you start doing more structured activities?  (Read 2734 times)

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Offline ~Sara~

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When did you start doing more structured activities?
« on: November 23, 2010, 16:10:38 pm »
(I *think* this is the right place to post this.  If not, feel free to move)

DS entered nursery at church, and they do all sorts of activities with him like coloring, playdough, puzzles.  It's really nice.  I'm just kind of worried that because we haven't been doing things like that with him at home, that's he's lacking in some skill sets.  I work during the day, and DH watches DS.  It's hard to get DH motivated to, for lack of a better term, school DS...I just don't think he thinks like that.  Anyways--that's another issue! :)

So, when did you start doing more skill-intensive, structured activities with your LOs?  And what did/do you do?  Did you make it like preschool?

DS doesn't really color.  More than anything, he just likes to bang the crayons on the table.  I don't see him get excited by the scribbles he can make on the paper, which honestly surprises me as it's such an obvious cause and effect!  He's not really into building things with blocks, but then again, we don't have any.  His favorite thing is to push toy cars/trucks around.  On the floor, on the couch, on the table, on our legs, doesn't matter.

I need some ideas!!  I just want to make sure that he's not lacking because of something WE'RE not doing, iykwim.
*formerly tersaseda*

 




Offline <Catherine>

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2010, 17:18:41 pm »
Listening in! :)

We are the same. I have tried things like colouring etc and my DS is exactly the same as yours. However, my friend childminds for me a couple of days a week while I work and she does more things with him like this and it's more successful. She's a Nanny by 'trade' so whether she has more 'skill' in getting him to concentrate on something for more than 3 seconds (and more patience!) or whether it's simply that her DS is doing the same activity so Ollie is more interested, I don't know.

I often worry I should be doing more with him.
Catherine x








Offline ~Sara~

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2010, 17:20:32 pm »
Welcome aboard! :)
*formerly tersaseda*

 




Offline Canadian_Mom

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2010, 00:35:12 am »
Jumping aboard as well.  I was thinking about this the other day as we haven't even attempted crayons yet (I guess it is time to try!).  And I was thinking about the when, where and how to go about it.  As for puzzles DS jabs the pieces at the spots they go into a few times then gives up.  If I am sitting there and "helping" him put the pieces in after those first few tries he will play with them for a bit longer.  I have to be the one to start doing the puzzle though.  It isn't one of the toys that he chooses to play with.

P.S. DH is the same way.  His idea of spending time with DS is only either chasing him around or trying to make him cuddle on the couch (which usually fails after only a minute).
-Nadia


Offline teilvnav

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2010, 00:43:43 am »
Nathan has liked colouring for about 5 months now, so I would keep trying once in a while. One of his favourite things to do now is sit with DH or I and colour in his Thomas the Train colouring book. He is only good for about 5-10 minutes, though, before he starts throwing or eating the crayons. We also do a lot of puzzles, which he loves. We have ones that make noises, ones with little knobs on the pieces, ones that are cars and trucks, ones that require a magnetic stick to lift the pieces... he loves them all. I get them cheap at second hand stores, and trade some with a friend once in a  while to keep him interested.

I am going to start playdough with him soon; I am a bit worried that at this stage he will just keep trying to eat it repeatedly!

Remember that you can make almost anything 'structured'. Have a book with the ABC's? Sing them and point to each letter. Nathan can repeat the first few by now when we sing together. He also loves to count, and if you start him on, "One, two..." he can say, "three, four, five!". You can count anything... beans, trucks, macaroni at dinner, animals in stories, etc. Nathan can identify the colour yellow, because his favourite car is a yellow one and I always say, "Oh, look at you with your yellow car again!"
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Offline Mrs. A

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2010, 01:11:04 am »
I think as long as there is lots of activity (as in, hands on movement, not doing sedentary, non-interactive things all day) you don't have to worry too much about how "structured" his play is. If you provide the opportunity, most kids will structure their own play themselves. We have letter magnets on the fridge and I am constantly walking in the kitchen to find the letters sorted by color, or I go into the living room to find all the matchbox cars sorted by size. I have never made any effort to show DD how to do these things- she just does them on her own. She also LOVES to color. She can keep herself busy for ages with a coloring book and crayons.  DS did the sorting at her age, but he NEVER wanted to color and he's still barely interested. Occasionally when he sees his sister coloring he will sit for a few minutes and draw stick figures (who are supposed to be transformers fighting with each other :P ), but it's never more than 5 minutes or so. I remember reading recently that boys tend to develop much slower than girls on the writing front. Not all boys, but many simply are not interested because they don't have the necessary skills to do it yet.

DS still has a hard time if I try to "set up" some sort of schoolish activity, but if he thinks of doing it on his own he goes right for it.  I just try to make sure that the opportunities are there for him.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2010, 01:16:52 am by SamirsMom »
Lisa
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Xenia 07 March 2008
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Offline Katet

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2010, 01:28:40 am »
I read a line the other day...

Children who are given opportunities will learn... some children will pick up a crayon & draw at 1yo others not until 4 or 5, some will kick a ball at 1yo others not until later.

Put out the things from time to time & see if they enjoy.

i remember one time at storytime there was a new child (about 3 maybe) & she picked up the scissors & cut... another Mum who'd been trying to get her DD to cut for ages said to the Mum 'how did you teach her, I can't get my DD to do it right" & the Mum said "I've never let her use scissors it is too hard as I have another child with a disability & it just wasn't possible, she just did it"...  i was reminded of that when one day my Ds1 came home from school telling me he could tie his shoe laces, we had sort of tried to teach him a few times, but at around 6.5yo he just "did it".

So my point would be, if you have a table maybe try putting a crayon & paper out & seeing if he is interested, but as a general rule children learn best when they are ready to learn, not when they are taught... if that makes sense.

my boys have been "low" on the colouring side, mostly limited to activities like library storytime & preschool, hardly at home... just the way they are & both have good fine & gross motor skills.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2010, 01:41:02 am »
I'm more of a free range parent...totally unstructured at home, we just do things as the mood takes us (unless it involves food or sleep, we are so "routine" in that area!).  Masyn has always loved drawing, play-doh, learning numbers and letters, but only in a "play" type of way. She seems to just absorb things, and when she started preschool she adapted nicely to a very structured environment (perhaps because of daycare).

Unfortunately Spencer's OT and SLP agree that with her ASD diagnosis that having her own agenda all the time is not a good thing per se.  So, I have to learn to make little mini agendas using a picture system (PECS) and make her go along with it to learn how to follow instruction a bit and also the whole concept of if/then.  So goes against my parenting grain. That and the fact that Masyn has to practice music every day, it is unbelievable how hard 5 min of practice is to get done.
Heidi




Offline ~Sara~

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2010, 03:48:20 am »
I do try to take a more Piagetian approach to teaching/learning.  Again, it's difficult as it's not ME whose at home with DS during the day.  Not being able to make sure these things are at least tried drives me crazy.

I'm afraid that DS isn't where some of these other kiddos are with his language/cognitive abilities.  Believe me, DH and I articulate EVERYTHING around Aaron...colors, numbers, body parts, objects he's trying to say.  We read to him, sing to him, talk to him, show him how to do things.  Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do any more to get him to do more.  So, I guess it's just about accepting that he doesn't do some things...

On a positive note: he finally crawled on his hands and knees today!!  LOL, only took him 8 months to get over the army crawl.  ::)

Thanks for the responses, ladies.
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Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: When did you start doing more structured activities?
« Reply #9 on: November 24, 2010, 04:07:17 am »
On a positive note: he finally crawled on his hands and knees today!!  LOL, only took him 8 months to get over the army crawl.

Spencer only figured out a real crawl after she was 2, was all about the butt scoot!
Heidi