From The Activity Mom:
" In honor of Independence Day, the ladies from Mom Loop and I are celebrating with a showcase of ways that our children (and yours) display independence."
I saw this about a week ago for the first time and it is an awesome idea! The only problem we have in our house is that I spend more time trying to control some of the girls' activities of independence than celebrating it!
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| Caring for the cats! |
I joke that Mikayla is five going on twenty-five. If there is something she sees an adult do, she seems to think that she can do it and do it better! Although there are some things that we have to frequently discourage her from doing (or trying) on her own- cutting her own hair, shaving her legs, or using the microwave come to mind- we love to direct her independent nature in a constructive way.
This summer, one of the things we are encouraging Mikayla to do is care for the pets independently and without being asked. We own five cats and two dogs, so it is important that everyone pitch in and help out in their care. Kayla has been doing a great job with this recently. She helps to feed the cats and dogs every day and change their water. I don't let her change litter boxes, but she will use a pooper scooper for the dog poo outside. Although we have one dog who is almost fourteen years old and doesn't require much exercise, we have an eleven year old Belgian Malinois that still enjoys a relatively active lifestyle. Once it has cooled down in the evenings, Mikayla usually asks to go outside and play with Bella. This is good for Bella and Mikayla both.
Other activities where Mikayla demonstrates independence already are: fixing herself snacks, folding her own clothes, brushing her teeth without being asked, and taking her own shower (with supervision). Later this summer, she will learn to ride her bike without training wheels-- now THAT is independence!
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| Helping a friend by puppy-sitting! |
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| Getting dressed! |
Susannah is totally different child in many ways, and this is no exception. We are happy when she will just change her clothes by herself! We have had two major accomplishments this spring and summer already. First, Susie potty-trained this spring...almost completely by herself. Within a two-week period, Susie ditched the diapers (day and night). Also, things have improved dramatically at bedtime. We used to have to stay in the chair in her bedroom until she fell asleep because it was just easier than running up and down the stairs a gazillion times every night. Now we lie her down, tuck her in, and say her prayers--she goes right to sleep. Other independent activites that she does or we are working on include: cutting with scissors, coloring in the lines, brushing her teeth, showering, and riding her new bicycle (with training wheels). Now, if only we could get her to stop sucking that thumb!
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