The Bad-Tempered Ladybird

Today we managed to get out in the rain in our boots and umbrella's and go for a quick walk! (Before the down pour) On our walk Master 2 discovered a ladybird which he carefully held on his finger throughout our walk. No amount of convincing was going to get Master 2 to release the ladybird as he pointed out "NO, ladybird wet...spots wash off!" So we put out little ladybird into our bug catcher while we got busy reading The Bad-Tempered Ladybird and had a great afternoon doing all sorts of fun activities related to the ladybird. (Whilst Master 2 was asleep Master 4 and I let the ladybird go. When he woke from his nap we explained that the rain had stopped and she had flown back to the garden!)



















Five Little Ladybugs

Five little ladybugs, climbing on some plants,

Eating the aphids, but not the ants!

The first one said: "Save some aphids for me!"

The second one said: "These are tasty as can be!"

The third one said: "Oh, they're almost gone!"

The fourth one said: "Then it's time to move on!

The fifth one said: "Come on, let's fly!"

So they opened their wings and flew through the sky.

Why not get all bugged up and make some fun ladybird snacks to eat!

- Strawberry/berry.chocolate bugs

- Apple/sultana bug

- Iced biscuits with choc drops

A CD seems to be the perfect shape for a ladybug.

Supplies needed :
CD
Felt
Chenille Stem
Wiggle Eyes
Pen
Craft Glue
Scissors

Trace around the CD onto red felt and cut out the circle. Glue the circle to the CD. Make a half-circle black head, a little smaller than half the CD, and glue it into place. Use a piece of the chenille stem to make a line down the ladybug's back. Cut small, black circle out of black felt and glue them onto the ladybug's back. Add wiggle eyes, and for extra detail, chenille stem antennae.

Ladybug Counting - Provide your child with a red circle. Have them draw as many black dots as they would like on one side. Count the dots on the paper and write the number on the other side.

Fingerprint Ladybug - provide your child with a piece of white paper and a red non-toxic stamp pads. Show the child how to make fingerprints on the paper, using only one finger at a time. When finished add wing outlines, dots, heat and antennae with a black pen, or for older children, have them add the features.

What you'll need:
3 small paper plates
Red and black paint
Red and black construction paper
Disposable foam paint brushes
Scissors
Googly eyes
Glue
Hole punch
Pipe cleaners

How to make your Paper Plate Ladybug:
Cut the center circle out of one of the paper plates.

Paint the circle black.
Paint the second paper plate (the whole plate) black.
Cut the third paper plate in half and then paint both halves red.
Glue the black circle to the underside of the black paper plate.
Glue the red halves to the black paper plate body so that they are split a little bit (so you can see some of the black body underneath them).
Dip the handle end of one of the paint brushes in black paint and use it to make the spots on the red ladybug wings.
Cut 6 thin strips of black construction paper that are all the same length. Accordion fold the strips and glue them onto the underside of the body, 3 on each side.
Use your hole punch (or if you don't have a hole punch have an adult poke two holes in the ladybug's head with scissors) to punch two holes in the ladybug's head near the body. Stick half of a pipe cleaner into each hole and twist very slightly at the bottom so they don't fall out.
Glue two googly eyes onto the head.
Cut a smile out of red construction paper and glue onto the head.

The Importance of Teaching Children Routines

What is a routine? A routine is any activity that we do automatically on a daily basis.When children grow up without routines, duties and limits, they grow up in an uncontrolled manner and become difficult to manage.

I believe there are many benefits of Routines for Children

• Increased performance at school
• Sense of self-security
• Ability to work in organised fashion
• Ability to learn and keep healthy habits

Our biggest responsibility as parents is to provide a structured and nurturing environment in which our children can become prepared for life as an adult. It is critical that we stimulate our children's minds, social skills, emotions and bodies. Routines play an integral part in this stimulation, ensuring that children understand and embrace their duties and receive the nurturing and care that is so important to them.

I am a big advocate both as a mother, and a teacher that routines influence children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Predictable and consistent schedules in preschool classrooms help children feel secure and comfortable. Also, routines help children understand the expectations of the environment and reduce the frequency of behaviour problems, such as tantrums and acts of aggression.Consistent routines are an effective tool that parents can use to prepare their children for life, and to accomplish the stimulation and teaching that is so important to their development.

You could have a routine for:

Daily living...

Getting ready in the morning
Going to bed at night
Eating meals
Hygiene and health – for example, brushing teeth, washing hands
Using family resources like the computer and telephone
Pocket money, given at a regular time and day
Homework
Quiet time each evening
Hobbies
Sports/exercise

Household responsibilities...

Tidying up, looking after toys
Caring for pets
Looking after clothes and laundry
Chores – for example, setting the dinner table, packing away, unpacking the dishwasher
Shopping

Interacting and fun...

Greetings and goodbyes
Eating meals together
Regular play and talk times with a parent each day
Taking turns in talking with family members about their day
Special one-on-one time with a parent
Special weekly meals (such as pancakes on Sunday night or cooked breakfast Saturday morning)
Family days (family activity)
Family DVD nights
Family meetings
Annual events
Story time (book reading)

Social, religious and cultural...

Regular ‘play dates’
Regular contact with your extended family and friends
National/state/local celebration days, annual fetes or outings
Saying prayers
Observing religious events

Getting into Routine

Getting out of the house on time with children dressed, teeth brushed, tummies filled and backpacks in hand can be challenging. Getting out the door without nagging, yelling and racing may seem impossible. You can create an environment that teaches your child to take responsibility for his/her morning routine. And, have more pleasant interactions with your child each morning. Doing so will help your child feel more successful and better about him/herself. And your relationship with your child will also likely benefit from a smoother morning routine.

Getting through the morning routine can become relatively stress free. A key is to allow the strategy described below to work. That is, the child is responsible for doing his/her morning tasks. If you take responsibility by reminding, doing for, helping (when help isn’t required) your child will likely let you keep reminding, doing and helping him/her. Such a pattern actually teaches your child he/she doesn’t have to keep track or do his/her morning routine on his/her own. This plan is about teaching your child to take care of his/her morning routine as independently as possible. Here is one way to make your mornings more manageable and enjoyable.

Decide what time you need to walk out the door to be to school on time.
Think about all the things your child needs to do from the time he/she awakes until it is time to walk out the door. Think carefully about how much time is needed to complete the tasks and ensure you and your child have enough time to get everything done. Make a list of the things that need to be done in the order they are to be completed. For young children drawings or pictures maybe helpful on the list and placed on a whiteboard where a marker pen is provided to tick of each task as it is completed.

Identify with your child a preferred activity he/she would enjoy doing after the rest of the list is completed when he/she has at least 5 minutes of time to spare before it is time to leave. This activity must be approved by you. Some ideas include: doind a puzzle, looking at some books, playing with the dog, playing with a toy etc. Hang the list in a location the child can monitor. Inform your child he/she is to do each task on the list and check them off as they are completed. As your child engages in and/or completes a task provide specific praise for doing so (e.g., good job getting dressed, your hair looks good). You may say things like “Just 2 more tasks and you get to play with your dolly.” “Wow, you are doing great, I bet you will have time for a puzzle this morning.” When your child gets everything done with time to spare, make sure he/she gets to do the fun thing. Be equally diligent in making sure he/she does not get to do the fun activity if everything is not done on time. Walk out the door on time! If your child only gets part of the list done, walk out the door on time! He/she may end up dressing in the car or going to Pre-school with messy hair. The key is not to give in to the temptation to nag or scold or do the task for the child. Rather, talk with his/her teachers and let them know you are working on improving your child’s independence and being responsible so he/she may come to school hungry or with messy hair a few mornings. Chances are this won’t happen very many times before the child figures out how to get through his/her routine successfully. It is easy to eat breakfast on the go and I wouldn’t encourage this if you want breakfast eaten at home. Otherwise, chances are, breakfast will continue to be eaten in the car.
Planning and patience are key. If you give this strategy a try and it doesn’t seem to be working, make sure enough time is allowed for everything to be done, praise is readily being given and access to the fun activity is available after everything else is done. And remember, change takes time.

Fun At the Beach

We are fortunate enough to live in a place that is surrounded by beautiful beaches, so needless to say that is where we spend most of our time. Our days at the beach seem to provide so many incidental learning opportunities for the boys - collecting and sorting shells, making pictures with shells, building sandcastles and sculptures, writing numbers and letters in the sand, identifying and classifying sea life in the rock pools, then list is endless. Below are some fun activities that can be done as a follow up from a day at the beach or a holiday away at the beach.

After a long walk along the beach collecting shells, Master 4 and I took the opportunity to make some sea creatures from his find together.

Today after our visit to the beach the boys and I read Mr Seahorse by Eric Carle. Below are some activities you can do as a fun follow up to the book.

1. In a foil baking tray place a piece of white A4 paper.


2. Place blobs of blue and green paint everywhere and put in 5 marbles. Using a rocking motion (like a seahorse I told Master 2) move the tray back and forth... back and forth to give a seaweed look.


3. While the paint was drying I gave Master 2 an outline of a seahorse and some cut up tissue paper. He happily spread watered down PVA glue all over the seahorse and covered it in colours.


4. When both the seahorse and paint were dry we glued on an eye and glued Mr Seahorse onto the seaweed.
   
   

1. In a small dish, mix one part of PVA glue to one part water and stir till evenly mixed in a white watery texture.


2. Put small dobs of paint of various colours in your palette. Not too much as you want your paints to be fairly watery.


3. Pour a little PVA glue mix into each of the sections. Mix well with the paint colour.


4. Dip your paintbrush in the colour of your choice, touch it gently to the tissue paper, and let the colour bleed into the tissue. Keep going till you’ve covered the whole tissue paper square with a rainbow of colours.


5. Set aside to dry.


6. Using a marker, draw the outline of your own Mister Seahorse.


7. Cut out your seahorse. Also cut out the little fin and spikes, a tiny dark circle for the pupil of the seahorse’s eye, and a slightly larger white circle for the white of the eye.


8. Paste your seahorse onto another clean sheet of paper.

This is a little song I like to sing with the boys after we have been to the beach or visiting the rock pools.

The Creatures in the Sea (Tune of Wheels on The Bus)

The Sharks in the sea go chomp, chomp, chomp....all day long
The Seahorse in the sea rock back and forth, back and forth, back and forth....all day long
The Octopus in the sea go tickle, tickle, tickle...all day long (wriggle hands everywhere over body)
The Fish in the sea dart all around, all around, all around (move hand like fast swimming fish)
The Whales in the sea go spurt, spurt, spurt ...all day long (flick fingers from top of head like blow hole)
The Crabs in the sea walk side to side, side to side,side to side...all day long (walk on hands sideways like a crab)
The Lobster in the sea go snap, snap, snap...all day long (hold hands up and make snapping action)
* You can make up lots more to go with this song and create your own actions/movements

Grandparents' Day

We all know and recognise children thrive in an environment where they are nurtured and loved. They learn about the world around them when those close to them join in their play and exploration. Grandparents often are just the people to create such an environment. They have more time to spend, and they can enjoy children for who they are at the moment. This warm, non-demanding and ever-loving bond is treasured by children and offers many benefits to grandchildren. My two boys spend a day a week at their Grandparents, and are fortunate to have Grandparents from New Zealand who visit regularly and are a big part of their lives. I really believe whether grandparents live near or far, it is important to value their vital role in child development and respect their ability to sweeten our children's lives tremendously. Tapping into this wonderful resource will enrich each of your family member's life.The undemanding and loving bond grandparents offer is treasured by grandchildren and has a myriad of benefits to grandchildren. Free of the pressure of raising children, grandparents have the freedom to play without the parental worries. I love listening to the conversations that take place between my boy's and their Grandparents and have often wished I had a tape recorder on hand to record some of the intense, and yet humorous chats that take place. It makes me smile when my kids come back from spending time with their Grandparents and I hear them using words my own mum said to me when I was a child. Below are some entertaining conversations that have taken place between Grandchild and Grandparent that I'd like to share with you..

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Nan, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo while I asked, "No, how are we alike?" "You're both old," he replied.

I didn't know if my grandson has learned his colours yet, so I decided to test him. I would point out something and ask him what colour it was. He would tell me and always she was correct. But it was fun for me, so I continued. At last he headed for the door, saying sagely, "Nan, I think you should try to figure out some of these yourself."

A Nan was telling her little grandson what her own childhood was like: "We used to play outside near a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little boy was wide-eyed, taking this in. At last he said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umberella
There is plenty of adventure with Thomas and Grandpa when they spend a day at the beach. Pamela Allen has the knack for capturing that special bond between a grandparent and a grandchild through simple text and expressive illustrations. Below I have listed some activities you might like to do after reading the book.

• Grandpa and Thomas have gone to the sea. Talk about the beach using all the senses: Who has been to the beach? What did you see? How does the sand feel? How does the water feel? What does seaweed feel like? How does it smell?
• Look at the front cover. Ask the same questions: What is the book going to be about? Look at the illustrations of Thomas. What is he feeling/ Why? What is going to happen next?
• Discuss with your child what Grandpa and Thomas do in the story to prevent themselves getting sunburnt. Also, what are the healthy & unhealthy foods in the book? What other foods could they have taken to the beach with them? Look at having a picnic at the beach.
• Look at the shapes in the book. What can you find?
• How far can you throw a stick? If it is to dangerous, throw beanbags. Measure informally.
• Look at the separate pages. Count:
  How many shoes?
  How umbrellas ?
  How many seagulls?
  How many sticks?
  How many items of clothing?
  Look at the patterns in the book.
  How does the author depict ‘movement’?
  How long were Thomas and Grandpa at the beach for? How do you know?
  Do a sequence activity. What did the two do first, second, next, last etc.
• Colours especially green; grass, tree frogs, smarties, plants, peas etc.
• Make an umbrella picture.

A Child’s need for Love

The need to be loved is exceptionally strong in all human beings. From childhood to old age, humans want to be loved by those around them. Love connects people in the strongest of ways. It produces care and concern, without which no one would take the responsibility of looking after others. Love makes the difficulties of life bearable, and helps ease the struggles of life. The love given to a child is more important than any material goods the family can provide.Life cannot just run on cold and hard rules. The warmth of love is necessary to infuse spirit and joy in life. A home without love, however orderly and organised, has not fulfilled its true purpose. A family is not just a micro-organisation where the needs of members are met. This could be done by a state run facility. A family’s outstanding characteristic is that members love one another, and this emotion binds them together.Love or the lack of it has a profound effect on the lives of children. Their mental capabilities, their fluency of speech, their observations and deductions on life, are all affected by it.

Self-esteem also can be defined as feelings of capability combined with feelings of being loved. A child who is happy with an achievement but does not feel loved may eventually experience low self-esteem. Likewise, a child who feels loved but is hesitant about his or her own abilities can also end up with low self-esteem. Healthy self-esteem comes when the right balance is reached.

Healthy self-esteem is a child's armor against the challenges of the world. Kids who feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. They tend to smile more readily and enjoy life. These kids are realistic and generally optimistic.In contrast, kids with low self-esteem can find challenges to be sources of major anxiety and frustration. Those who think poorly of themselves have a hard time finding solutions to problems. If given to self-critical thoughts such as "I'm no good" or "I can't do anything right," they may become passive, withdrawn, or depressed. Faced with a new challenge, their immediate response is "I can't." Here's how you can play an important role in promoting healthy self-esteem in your child.

• Watch what you say. Kids are very sensitive to parents' words. Remember to praise your child not only for a job well done, but also for effort. But be truthful. For example, if your child doesn't make the soccer team, avoid saying something like, "Well, next time you'll work harder and make it." Instead, try "Well, you didn't make the team, but I'm really proud of the effort you put into it." Reward effort and completion instead of outcome.


• Be a positive role model. If you're excessively harsh on yourself, pessimistic, or unrealistic about your abilities and limitations, your child may eventually mirror you. Nurture your own self-esteem, and your child will have a great role model.
  Identify and redirect your child's inaccurate beliefs. It's important for parents to identify kids' irrational beliefs about themselves, whether they're about perfection, attractiveness, ability, or anything else. Helping kids set more accurate standards and be more realistic in evaluating themselves will help them have a healthy self-concept. Inaccurate perceptions of self can take root and become reality to kids. For example, a child who does very well in school but struggles with maths may say, "I can't do maths. I'm a useless." Not only is this a false generalisation, it's also a belief that will set the child up for failure. Encourage kids to see a situation in its true light. A helpful response might be: "You are a good student. You do great in school. Maths is just a subject that you need to spend more time on. We'll work on it together."


• Be spontaneous and affectionate. Your love will go a long way to boost your child's self-esteem. Give hugs and tell kids you're proud of them. Pop a note in your child's lunchbox that reads, "I think you're terrific!" Give praise frequently and honestly, without overdoing it. Kids can tell whether something comes from the heart.
  Give positive, accurate feedback. Comments like "You always work yourself up into such a frenzy!" will make kids feel like they have no control over their outbursts. A better statement is, "You were really mad at your brother. But I appreciate that you didn't yell at him or hit him." This acknowledges a child's feelings, rewards the choice made, and encourages the child to make the right choice again next time.


• Create a safe, loving home environment. Kids who don't feel safe or are abused at home will suffer immensely from low self-esteem. A child who is exposed to parents who fight and argue repeatedly may become depressed and withdrawn. Also watch for signs of abuse by others, problems in school, trouble with peers, and other factors that may affect kids' self-esteem. Deal with these issues sensitively but swiftly. And always remember to respect your kids.


• Help kids become involved in constructive experiences. Activities that encourage cooperation rather than competition are especially helpful in fostering self-esteem. For example, mentoring programs in which an older child helps a younger one learn to read can do wonders for both kids.

Chikka Chikka 1 2 3

This is my absolute favourite book to use with children when looking closely at numbers.Here numbers take over an apple tree. Launching the appealingly absurd antics is a challenge framed in the familiar rhythm: "1 told 2/ and 2 told 3,/ `I'll race you to the top/ of the apple tree.' " As the subsequent numbers climb one by one with equal enthusiasm (after 20, the counting goes up by 10s), a worried zero (as indicated by a stray bead of perspiration) chants a refrain, "Chicka Chicka/ 1, 2, 3.../ Will there be a/ place for me?" The climbing comes to a halt when bumblebees arrive, ordering the numbers to vacate, which they do in reverse order ("90, 80,/ 70 fall,/ hit the ground/ in a free-for-all"). A fun twist involves a missing number and zero, who finally realises where he belongs and leaps atop the leaves, a move that scares off the bees and clears the way for the other numbers to return.I love how several embellishments offer additional whimsy (5 wears a top hat, 70 sports long hair); endpapers and jacket flaps brim with brightly-hued numbers. Cleverly calculated verse and visuals add up to numerical mayhem that will entertain as well as reinforce counting skills and digit identification. As an end to our celebration of Numeracy week master 4 wanted to make a "number tree." He used large numbers for visual recognition and added them to his tree.This has taken pride of place in his room!