Have you ever wondered why after only 2hrs of preschool children usually take a nap? I was watching this great group of 3yr olds during closing circle. All of them were snuggled into there grownups lap lazily listening to the goodbye song, eyes were drooping and bodies were sagging - they were spent. It was a precious moment.
Of course the educator in me started to wonder. How is it that these bundles of energy can be wiped out by just two hrs of preschool? So, I started to pay attention in all my classes and look for where exactly they were wearing themselves out.
The answer I discovered was EVERYWHERE.
Preschoolers do everything on full blast. They are always giving 100%. I noticed that a 1/2 hr recess can bring some to a full sweat, brows getting seriously furrowed as they concentrated at the writing table, snack eaten like this was the best cheese ever tasted, and little actresses playing princess who held on to that character better than Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelley.
Children don't seem to have an understanding or a desire to do thing half way (unless it's about household chores, but even then their avoidance is 100%). What ever they focus on and try they give there all. Projects or games, when they are interested in them, have their full attention and full energy focus. Just watch. You will never see a preschooler kinda painting or sorta building with blocks. If they love something you know it, and if they don't you know that too. 100% is not some motto or something they've been told to do, it is how they navigate the world.
What about the "Boreds" you say? Well, they do those 100% too. How many times in five minutes can you say "I'm bored!" I bet they have you beat. Maybe they are bored because there is nothing they feel like expending 100% of themselves on. Imagine if you gave everything 100%, would you be less likely to be interested in doing something you were not extremely passionate about? I would.
Today's life lesson
Its so simple, I bet you can see it coming....Try something at 100%. Whether you go out for a run, or cook something new, read a new book or go dancing with friends. Practice giving your all. Push yourself to the limit and see if you can find the point where you are so engrossed in something you forget how much time has past. Enjoy the moments 100% and see how much that changes you perspective and you priorities on how you want to spend you time.
Today's Parenting Lesson
Children love to be engaged. They thrive on being able to give something all their attention and all their energy. They aren't born looking for a way to get out of doing something, they just want to love what they are doing. How can you make that happen for them? Think of ways that you can foster their interests and sometimes take advantage of their desire to go all out with everything they do. Make cleaning fun, (why do you think preschool teachers all have a "cleanup song"). To get rid of the "boreds" try asking them for some direction on what to do and it that fails show them something you love - and show them at 100%. Sometimes, just honor their being bored, we've all been there and we have all had to figure out what to do, what interests us enough to make us stop being bored at 100% and start doing at 100%. AND - of course just watch and enjoy the moments aware of the fact that their 100% for 2 hrs will almost guarantee you a free 2 hrs, while they nap, to do something you love. BUT remember to do it 100%.
Showing posts with label play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label play. Show all posts
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Giving up the perfect!!
It has been a while.
I would like to be able to say that I had writer's block and then reached some big profound epiphany and am now about to enlighten you with some of the greatest insights ever blogged. But, I can't. I did have writers block, but not in the typical can't think of what to write way. Wonderful children gave me great ideas every day and I was excited to sit down and put them on paper. Instead, I was blocked by my own desire for perfection. I didn't post, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say was good enough, grammatically correct and entertaining.
In short - I was afraid of not being perfect.
How did I overcome it? By spending quality time with preschoolers. I watched these little people work hard at just doing. They find joy in the process and do not look for perfection in their results. They are the epitome of creativity and by watching them take risks I have become a risk taker.
For example...
In the 3-5s class I watched a child at the easel. She grabbed one paint brush, painted a little on the paper and then moved on (her painting was placed to dry). The next child came up and took a paint brush, used it on the paper for a while, grabbed another color, painted, grabbed another color painted some more - and then moved on (his painting was placed to dry). The third child came up stuck her hands in the paint, and proceeded to paint using her hands in swirling motions on the paper until she was finished.
All of these children were experiencing art, colors, sensory and CREATING without concern for the how, or the what.
A group of preschool girls, when given the opportunity will put on a "princess show" that doesn't follow and play writing class's version of an accurate script. But will in, their minds, have a beginning, middle, and end.
A preschool boy, can take a dollhouse, add some blocks and "cannons" and then invite you to play in his pirate ship.
Give any age preschooler a musical instrument and you will be gifted with a concert.
I am amazed and a little envious and this freedom, this passion for process that too quickly disappears and becomes a strive for product.
So...I am back at it. Like the children that I have the pleasure of spending time with. I am going to jump in and take chances. You might have to have patience will my commas, periods or dashes and you might be a little put off by my lack of perfection, but I am taking my cues from the experts on creativity and striving for the best in process I can create. I am hoping that good will come from my observations and that parents,students and friends will continue to find value in what happens "at the playdough table."
To play with a quote from "The Early Learning Challenge: Raising the Bar" — Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference
I am not going to let "perfection become the enemy of the good."
Today's lesson - BE CREATIVE. Just go for it. Try your hand at something just for the pleasure of trying it. Add chopped Heath bars instead of chocolate chips. Start a journal or blog. Grab some markers and paper and play. It is the New Year - make your resolution to just "try" Don't worry "if its not good enough for anyone else to hear..." or see, or read - just do it for your self and the sit back and enjoy the GOOD that resulted when you defeated perfection and didn't let it get in the way of your success!!
Today's parenting lesson - Let them CREATE. Try your hardest to stop asking, "what is it." and commenting on what they do. Yep, maybe they are going through a million pieces of paper and each has only one line on it, but perhaps they are trying to figure out something we have yet to understand, or they could just like it that way. This time in life, this freedom to do, without concern for the outcome lasts only a little while. Lets see what we can do as parents to extend it and let them explore without the limitations of expectations.
I would like to be able to say that I had writer's block and then reached some big profound epiphany and am now about to enlighten you with some of the greatest insights ever blogged. But, I can't. I did have writers block, but not in the typical can't think of what to write way. Wonderful children gave me great ideas every day and I was excited to sit down and put them on paper. Instead, I was blocked by my own desire for perfection. I didn't post, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say was good enough, grammatically correct and entertaining.
In short - I was afraid of not being perfect.
How did I overcome it? By spending quality time with preschoolers. I watched these little people work hard at just doing. They find joy in the process and do not look for perfection in their results. They are the epitome of creativity and by watching them take risks I have become a risk taker.
For example...
In the 3-5s class I watched a child at the easel. She grabbed one paint brush, painted a little on the paper and then moved on (her painting was placed to dry). The next child came up and took a paint brush, used it on the paper for a while, grabbed another color, painted, grabbed another color painted some more - and then moved on (his painting was placed to dry). The third child came up stuck her hands in the paint, and proceeded to paint using her hands in swirling motions on the paper until she was finished.
All of these children were experiencing art, colors, sensory and CREATING without concern for the how, or the what.
A group of preschool girls, when given the opportunity will put on a "princess show" that doesn't follow and play writing class's version of an accurate script. But will in, their minds, have a beginning, middle, and end.
A preschool boy, can take a dollhouse, add some blocks and "cannons" and then invite you to play in his pirate ship.
Give any age preschooler a musical instrument and you will be gifted with a concert.
I am amazed and a little envious and this freedom, this passion for process that too quickly disappears and becomes a strive for product.
So...I am back at it. Like the children that I have the pleasure of spending time with. I am going to jump in and take chances. You might have to have patience will my commas, periods or dashes and you might be a little put off by my lack of perfection, but I am taking my cues from the experts on creativity and striving for the best in process I can create. I am hoping that good will come from my observations and that parents,students and friends will continue to find value in what happens "at the playdough table."
To play with a quote from "The Early Learning Challenge: Raising the Bar" — Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference
I am not going to let "perfection become the enemy of the good."
Today's lesson - BE CREATIVE. Just go for it. Try your hand at something just for the pleasure of trying it. Add chopped Heath bars instead of chocolate chips. Start a journal or blog. Grab some markers and paper and play. It is the New Year - make your resolution to just "try" Don't worry "if its not good enough for anyone else to hear..." or see, or read - just do it for your self and the sit back and enjoy the GOOD that resulted when you defeated perfection and didn't let it get in the way of your success!!
Today's parenting lesson - Let them CREATE. Try your hardest to stop asking, "what is it." and commenting on what they do. Yep, maybe they are going through a million pieces of paper and each has only one line on it, but perhaps they are trying to figure out something we have yet to understand, or they could just like it that way. This time in life, this freedom to do, without concern for the outcome lasts only a little while. Lets see what we can do as parents to extend it and let them explore without the limitations of expectations.
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