Watch Her Grow...

This Week's Focus: Emotional Regulation and Independence

Classic American photos- With Ronald McDonald's (messy weather has sent us to "inside parks") and hot dogs with a baseball game.

Interactions with Materials

• Q-ball has started working with her puzzles again.  I love that she is able to maintain or re-start interest in an object, even after mastering it.
• As I mentioned last week, she starting exploring shapes.  This has continued as she has gravitated towards her sorting and stacking toys.
• She is also loving playing with blocks.  She's working on creating tunnels and train stations for her cars and trains.

Interactions with Others 

• Like most kids her age, Q-ball is clearly very concerned about other children (or cats) touching her things.  When she sees another child approaching (or just standing on the other side of the room), she immediately turns to me and tells me that she is "scared that boy will touch my toys/books/rock/etc.)  However, she does clearly understand and accept the idea of taking turns.  In fact, she seems genuinely excited that she gets to "wait in line" for the slide or other park item.
• She still enjoys her personal time. The only way I could get her to agree to go to our park day this week was to explain that she did not have to play with the other children.  In a very pro-social fashion, she chanted, "me do not have to play with other kids" for the majority of our time at the park.
• We also had our first tea party for her bears.  She used the wooden cookies, doughnuts, and plates that Grandma and Grandpa gave her for Christmas.

Interactions with Life 

• Q-ball has started a "screaming" phase.  I think this is the second time it's happened.  I don't exactly remember the first one lasting all that long, which is a little uplifting.  High pitch noises while driving, during dinner, and while grocery shopping are not very life-giving.  
• Mama and Daddy often do our exercises (body weight strength training, stretching, yoga, etc.) at home in the morning, and Q-ball loves joining in.  She especially likes doing push-ups and is now very taken with jumping jacks as she observed the homeschool PE group doing them at the park this week.  And, she loves to randomly do yoga moves throughout the day.

We are linking up with Vibrant Wanderings!  Check out what other kiddos are up to this week!

Watch Her Grow...

This Week's Focus: Emotional Regulation and Independence

Still not able to upload pictures..if there is anyone about there more tech savvy than me, let me know if you can think of anything!


Interactions with Materials

•  Q-ball's primary source of independent play continues to be pretend play that involves her stuffed animals. This morning she spent most of her time in pushing them in "strollers" (a high chair, laundry basket, and step stool).  She still loves to have them participate in all aspects of life- potty, sleep, dressing, eating, car riding, reading and playing.
• We planted a small container garden a few months ago, and she now enjoys going to water her daises. 

Interactions with Others 

• Q-ball has continued to open up to others.  She is especially excited about play dates with two close friends.  She talks about her play afterwards for days. Yesterday she was especially excited to explore a "jungle" with the other kiddos.  As for kids that are less recognizable to her, she still gets excited and talks about the opprotunity to "play with mine friends," but as soon as these children approach her, she typically instantly shows her fear through crying, screaming, or just freezing in place.

Critical Thinking

• This week, we focused on learning shapes.  Q-ball very interested and quickly caught on to all of the shape words.  (Description of this 3-part lesson to come!)
• Like all toddlers, she's very interested in finding and establishing her own order.  One way she is doing this is through matching like items around the house. 

Interactions with Life 

• She has reached the stage where she can't seem to make up her mind.  She say, "I want Mama to do it!"   Only to immediately realize that she doesn't want Mama to have anything to do with anything.  Fortunately, this hasn't lead to too much emotional trauma for the family, but I can certainly see the potential.
• She is getting quite good at expressing her emotions.  She'll tell me if something makes her sad.  Sometimes she'll even emphasize the point by telling me "I have tears."  She leads a pretty tough life!

We are linking up with Vibrant Wanderings!  Check out what other kiddos are up to this week!

Watch Her Grow...

This Week's Focus: Language and Independence
Sorry for no photos again!  I've been having issues uploading photos, maybe I'll try again tomorrow!

  Interactions with Materials

• Q-ball is again covered with temporary tattoos- 3 at the moment, I think.  She loves these things.
• Apparently, Q-ball knew that last weekend was Orthodox Easter because when Daddy asked her what she wanted to do with the afternoon, she said, "Easter egg hunt."  So, I dug out the Easter eggs (which I had just recently been able to pack away!)

Interactions with Others 

• Q-ball had her best babysitting expereince last night.  This time her friends' mother came over to visit, and, while she was very nervous about us leaving, when we got home, she said she didn't want to stop playing and didn't want her caretaker to leave.  This makes me leave much better about future separations as we still have a few birth classes to go, and Daddy and I are going on a date next week!  (I think we've been on 3 in the past 25 months, so it's quite a change!)
• I've haven't mentioned it here, but one of Q-ball's favorite games in the past few weeks has been "follow-the-leader," in which she, of course, is the leader.  I'm told to stand up and sit down and stand up and sit down over there and stand up and sit down over here for a very, very long time.

Interactions with Life 

• We are certainly experiencing the importance toddler routines. I have to be careful to help her put on her clothes in the same order, make sure I turn off the lights before closing a closet door (rather than after the door is already closed), and getting into the carseat can be very tricky, especially as we haven't really figured out what the routine is.

We are linking up with Vibrant Wanderings!  Check out what other kiddos are up to this week!

The Social Patterns of a Two-Year Old

  While I was studying child development, I was fascinated by the research of Arnold Gesell, so I was excited when I discovered that the Gesell Institute of Human Development has a series of books that describe your child year by year. When Q-ball turned one, I posted one of my favorite bits from the book here, and at 18 months, I shared Gesell's theory of disequilbrium. (If you're still following links, here's my overview of Gesell's research.) As I just completed, Your Two-Year-Old, I wanted to again share my favorite figure what that book. 
   Using long-term observations, the Gesell Institute determined that at two-years-old, a child is much more likely to talk to adults than to other children.  In these interactions, the two-year-old will likely use two or three word phrases rather than single-word sentences. However, the youngster is still certainly controlling the conversation- choosing to not always answer when the adult addresses him or just repeating the adult's original comment.  If a two-year-old does speak to someone else his age, the conversation is typically an attempt to maintain control over his space or stuff- "no, mine!" or "me want ball."  While his verbalization is increasing overall, this is the last year of life that a child is more likely to say "no" through motor behavior rather than verbally.  When given a request that he simply does not wish to follow, he may just walk away, look away, or continue to play. 
   All this being said, the two-year-old's favorite person to talk to is himself!  This makes sense given that these little ones are still firmly in their egocentric phase.  This self-talk is often easily observed during independent play, especially imaginary play.  At times, this self-talk may move towards an adult when the child wants to brag about all of his accomplishments- cleaning up by himself, feeding his own bear, or using the toilet alone. 

What's your two-year-old talking about?