Anyway, between 18 months and 2 years, Ryan and I really started feeling like Owen was just getting bored all the time. We did what every toddler does, we played a lot and we read a ton! Owen's favorite thing was to read books, for hours and hours. But, he was starting to act out a lot more and we really felt that some of it was due to not being challenged enough. So, the teacher in me started to look up school type things to do with your toddler and this is how "Mommy School" was born. It actually came from one of the blogs I read a lot, that has Mommy School packets, check them out here, we love her fun ideas at this house!
Well, I picked a fun theme/packet and started planning. It was so exciting for me to be using my degree again in a more formal manner. I love planning the fun and cutsie school stuff. And, just a side note, but I totally should have switched being a Mom and a teacher, I would be such a better teacher now, just from having kids. Anyway, I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to go, but from day one Owen L-O-V-E-D it! Now, he can be heard every minute of every day saying, "I want to do Mommy school again, Mommy" over and over. I'll admit some days are much better than others and some days I plan more than others:) but it has helped a lot in the behavior department, except when he throws a tantrum when we have to stop mommy school:). He obviously is still two but that part of him that was bored, isn't bored anymore. And, I also think it has strengthened my relationship with him, not like it wasn't strong before, I can't describe it, he just responds better to me now and we are understanding each other better. Well, we love mommy school around here!
We did a jungle unit and Owen got to make his Owen jungle out of foam animal stickers. By the way, this face is what you get when you tell Owen to smile for the camera, haha, silly guy!
We use this flannel board a lot. I used an old picture frame and took out the glass.
Owen loves play dough! Here he is using cookie cutter animals in play dough.
We built a zoo cage one day after talking about where all the animals live in the zoo. Then, Owen got to get in and act out some different animals. His favorite that day was the lion.
Benson gets in on the fun as well:) and as you can tell our cage didn't last too long:)
Owen absolutely loves puzzles!
Owen illustrated his first book:) He was so proud and kept wanting to "read" it to anyone who would listen.
We just finished an apple unit and one day we were going to paint with apples. I had to go into the kitchen to get a knife to cut the apple and when I came back a minute later, Owen had taken a bite out of the apple. What a goose!
If you look closely Owen is in the very back of this picture doing his famous smile for the camera. Anyway, I was so amazed this day that I had to take a picture. We had 10 number cards and 10 cars and Owen had to drive one of his cars to whatever number I specified on the floor. He already knows his numbers so it wasn't the fact that he knew where to go that impressed me, it was the fact that he would start a few numbers before the one he was going to and drive past those first and then he would place the car exactly over the number card so it would be hidden by the car. He did this so carefully and if any of them moved at all he went back and fixed them. He is usually such a crazy boy, that can't hold still too long and doesn't care for the details but occasionally I see that part of him that comes from me peeking through. It was so cute!
And here is a video of Owen doing Mommy school!
Good for you Brie! That's great he loves it so much. I love that blog too, Oopsey Daisy. It was one of the very first (possibly the first) craft blogs I started reading last year. I can't wait to do this with Grayson when he gets older. Do you know what age is a good one to start at?
ReplyDeleteThat is so neat and looks like so much fun! I've been thinking that when we have kids I want to do something like that with them, and this seems perfect! How long do you spend with it every day?
ReplyDelete