Tip of the Day for Parents- The Writing is on the…Belly?

Any of you who read my blog on a regular basis already know that I have a real thing for using the bathtub as a classroom.  I’m not sure why, but it works for me, so I pass along what I do in hopes that these tips might work for you too.  Here are two more…and again, I owe them both to my children, as they seem to be the ones who dream up the best tips.

#1- Practice Makes Perfect– my daughter, McKenna Kate, has lovely long hair that is prone to knots.  Therefore, she enjoys conditioning it every night.  And, because, at the tender age of six, she is already well aware of the importance of leaving said conditioner in for about a minute, she ends up w/time on her hands.  A perfect time, she has said, to practice her math skills.  So, in the span of a week, she cemented her ability to count from 1-100 by ones, by twos, by fives, tens, twenties and by twenty fives.  Pretty cool.  We’ve now moved onto other fun facts like adding and subtracting, also taking time to review what she’s already learned.  Just one minute a night of review can really help your child learn new skills and build confidence by reviewing others.

#2- The Writing is on the….Belly– my son, Mac, is a word freak.  He loves to ask how to spell things, even though he can barely recite the alphabet.  But, I love to indulge his 3 year old curiosity, so I have him lather up his hands (MK does it too) and spread white soap all over his tummy.  Then, I spell out words, write letters and even draw numbers right onto his belly.  He loves the feel of my fingers on his skin, and he loves to guess what I’m writing.  It’s a fun way for me to express affection toward him and teach him a new skill in a fun and hands on manner.  And now that MK is beginning to read, she likes to participate by sounding out what I’m writing on his tummy.

Sometimes it’s the little things that can make all the difference.  Happy learning!