101 Things

There are 101 Things you can do with your child. Join Sarah for a discussion around this list, on Tuesday 8 May from 930 to 11am.

25. Talk to your child by physically moving to her/his level; be still and make eye contact.

26. Sing! Voice quality doesn’t matter. Sing together regularly; build a repertoire of favorites.

27. Refrain from over-structuring your child’s time with formal classes and activities.  Leave time to “just be”—to play, explore, create.

28. Teach your child safety precautions.  (Deal with matches, plugs, chemicals, stairs, the street, how to dial 999, etc.)

29. Teach your child her/his address, phone number, and parents’ names.

30. Count! Use natural opportunities that arise.

31. Tell and re-tell family-based stories. For example, “On the day you were born…”

32. Look at family pictures together. Help your child be aware of her/his extended family, names, and relationships.

33. Construct your child’s biography, the story of her/his life.  A notebook is ideal, so that it can be added to each year. Sharing one’s story can become a much-loved ritual, which can also be shared with the child’s class at birthday time.

34. Assist your child to be aware of her/his feelings, to have a vocabulary for emotions and to be able to express them.