3 Homeschool Activities for 1.5yrs

As I've mentioned here, I am still trying to get my act together when it comes
to M's homeschooling program. I started yet again a few weeks ago when it
dawned on me that M had hit the 1.5yr mark. So far so good.

3 Homeschool Activities we've been doing lately:

1. Read Books
I now make it a point to read a few books to M first thing in the morning. We
usually read what's available but I try to buy one new book every two weeks.
We then rotate the books to prevent boredom from creeping in.

I know some people like to read to their children at night. Great too! It just
doesn't work as well for us. Reading books at night is more of a quieting
down before bedtime activity for us.

2. Read Playcards (Glenn Doman)
We're back to our playcards and M seems to enjoy reading them. I really need
to create new cards because we're almost done with the current set. We still
don't watch tv so an e-version is not yet in the plans.

I just realized that I never got to properly explaining what these playcards are
all about. I'll try to talk about them more in one of my next posts.

3. Play Play Play
I would love to say color or write but in reality, M doesn't seem to enjoy these
activities yet. It's usually a case of me doing the coloring with him playing beside
me. We've already gone through an entire coloring book and he still hasn't
warmed up to it yet. Looks like I'll have to try again next time.

M really enjoys playing at this point. Thankfully, Kuya Z is more than willing to
share his toys. The challenge is for Mama to create fun + learning play for M.

Other activities I've got lined up:
- Tot Trays: I am specially interested in the trays that are focused on teaching
  practical life skills. I've begun gathering materials and we'll be working on
  these soon.
- Math Playcards (Glenn Doman): Hmmm, I have to create them first!
- Singapore Math: I still have to figure out when and how to teach the concepts
  to M. If I'm in town this October 8, I'll be seeing you all at the Singapore Math
  Learning Festival at the AIM.
- More more more... I've been so blessed to have come across so much material
  online and offline. The possibilities are endless! It's now are matter of choosing
  activities that will help M the most.

3 Ways of Getting Affordable Toys

Before Angry Birds and Before Farmville, Kids had these :)

At 1 year and 3 months, I can proudly say that our little toddler still does NOT
watch TV. You might be wondering, what does M do all day? Playing with toys
tops the list! Toys are great because they "require" kids to use and develop their
skills and imagination.

The challenge with toys is, kids easily tire of their toys. Dr. Glenn Doman tells us
that kids enjoy their toys while there's still something about the toy to be discovered.
But once the toy has been fully explored, expect that toy to be tossed aside.

So what's a mom to do? I know fully well that kids' toys can be quite expensive.
Here are some tips for you.

3 Ways to Getting Affordable Toys:

1. Research
- Isn't the net great!?! I use it a lot for researching! Of course, it has helped me
gain tons of ideas for toys. I check out websites and blogs. I join FB groups of
educators; homeschooling is a recognized form of education. I'm excited for an
upcoming online webinar (it's free!). There really is so much info out there. It's
so easy to pick an idea and make it your own.
2. Observe
- M is allowed to tinker around with everyday objects and use them for toys.
Of course we first ensure that these objects are nonbreakable and do not pose
any safety risks. So far M has played with paper, cloth, cartons, cleaning tools,
and furniture.
3. Borrow
- Some of M's fave toys are actually not his. M has borrowed toys from cousins
and uncles. You'd be surprised at how many relatives and friends have a stash
of toys just dusting away in a box. Just make sure to thoroughly clean the toys
if their previous owners have not already done so.

I hope I've inspired you to reconsider the tv habits of your children. Studies have
shown that there's way too much tv watching going on. It's time to turn off the telly
and make the kids play.

He's now 8 months old

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gozalewis

We've been BUSY!

I would have wanted to do a monthly progress report for M. But there is
this thing called LIFE.

A few days before M turned 5 months, life got exciting for all of us. Tatay
flew off for further studies. And that left me with all these things that
had to be managed. Thankfully, I found a work-at-home job! It does
get tiring, but I can't complain. We did ask for this!

So what's new with M? At 6 months, he started eating solids. At 7 months,
he was clapping his hands. Now at 8 months, he's a very happy crawler!
Sadly, the hustle and bustle is slowly zapping out his cute baby folds.

At 8 months, we have begun our homeschooling of sorts... We've gone
back to listening to classical music in the morning (just 30 minutes)...
We've started a simple baby signing program... We've started his reading
playcards... In the works is a foreign language "program"...

This is just regular baby stuff for him... How did that happen? Well....
Rule #1 - NO TV!!!!!! You'd be surprised at the numerous and varied
activities that can be done when TV is out of the picture.

More "kwentos" soon...

Refund for Baby Einstein Products

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicejamieson

I've long heard that children under the age of 2 should not be
allowed to watch t.v. Of course, each parent has their own
opinion on this.

I for one do not agree that a baby should be allowed to watch
t.v. (educational or otherwise)... I'm currently a fan of the
Glenn Doman books. The "Teach Your Baby..." activities
encourage a lot of interaction between the parents and the baby.
No time for t.v. watching here... But let me give the final verdict
on this AFTER the baby has arrived hehehe...

Then there are those who think highly of the Baby Einstein
series. For those who like the products, you may want to
read this bit of news I got from The New York Times
regarding the refund Walt Disney Co. is offering
for Baby Einstein videos...

As they say, there are no instruction manuals for parenting.
There are no shortcuts to it either. And if it seems too good
to be true, it usually is.

* This post first appeared here.