Teaching my Baby

For the last couple months my DS (10 1/2 months) and I have been working on several concepts. Open and Close has been one of these concepts and it is so fun to watch him understand and be able to do the things I ask him to. This concept started when he would join me washing dishes a couple months ago. While I washed at the sink, he would come play at my feet, opening and closing the cupboard doors. I decided this could be turned into a learning opportunity. Each time he would open the door, I would say "open" and each time he would close it, I would say "close". This would go on for anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes depending on his attention span that day. Before long he was noticing that there was more that just opening and closing the cupboard doors. There is actually stuff (and fun looking stuff too) inside those cupboards, so from time to time the cupboard would open, but not close. This is a perfect testing time. I would say "can you CLOSE the door?" DS would then get so excited and show me how he could close it. He can do this with any kind of doors now, from the refridgerator to the front door.

The other concept we started several months ago is "in" and "out". He has a Fisher Price shape block sorter toy (can't find it online sorry) that is, in my opinion, too advanced for him so far as far as sorting the shapes in the proper holes. Because of this, I sought out another training use. The "In Out" game began! I put one block in at at time, each time saying the word "in". When the bucket is full, I pour it out on him (carefully) saying (in a fun stretched out playful way) "out". He really likes this part. After a few days of doing this he began helping by putting in a block now and then. After several weeks, he could do most of them. Don't get too picky though... half the time he puts them in and takes them right out to chew on. :) Well, in the way of an update, last night he started doing it all by himself. I was sitting across the room working on something else!

Isn't it amazing what a little deliberate time with our babies can do?

Labels: Learning for Little Ones, Little Moments

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 10:46 AM