Hello everyone, I wanted to share with you all an experience I had last week with my preschooler. I had been planning this totally fun activity for a few days, I was so excited and thought my son would be to. We have had lots of opportunities to learn about the body and its various parts and I bought a book that talked all about the body and had cool pictures. I wanted to spend some one on one time with my son since I had baby number 2 a week ago. So during nap time I pulled out our cool body book and we looked all through it and talked about the body parts, skin, bones and hair. All was going well. We were both really into what we were learning and I was so happy to be spending time together.
Then came the funnest part! Or so I thought it would be. I got a roll of freezer paper and cut off a length to trace my sons body. The plan was to trace him and then spend time coloring in bones, organs, eyes, nose, ears, hair or whatever took interest. This is where it all went south! I explained what I wanted to do and my son flipped out! He kept telling me that laying on the paper scared him and that it hurt. I couldn't figure out how laying on a piece of paper hurt. I was also being a little stubborn because I was so excited to do this and just wanted him to lay on the paper.
We got into a little argument and my son went to his bed crying. I was so bummed that my great idea didn't work. I also decided that since he wasn't going to do what I wanted we wouldn't do anything. ( I know I was being really childish myself)
I let myself cool down and then went to find my son. He was in bed covered with his blankets crying for daddy. ( I know none of your children have ever done this:) I sat down by the bed and we started talking about what happened and how we both felt. I was able to explain that I was excited for this activity and how it disappointed me that he wasn't as excited. I listened while he explained that it scared him and he didn't want to do it. ( I still don't know why it was scary) We both talked, without throwing fits, and reached an understanding. We were both done for the day.
My son has a hard time with communicating feelings and talking without flying of the handle so this was a wonderful thing for us. I was still bummed that we didn't get to draw his body, but a greater lesson was learned that day. I learned that its not always important to follow through with every lesson plan made, it is important to follow the needs of my preschooler. My son learned how to talk about the way he feels and why without throwing a huge tantrum. I am so glad that we were able to have that moment together, talking and listening. Maybe we will get to the body another day, and maybe another way. For now it was good to teach communication skills.
Have you had a time when a lesson you planned didn't go as well as you liked? How did you deal with it?
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