My kids just can't get enough of playing games with Mom and Dad--can yours?
Sometimes we all take a break in the middle of the day and play a game together. Most of the time, I just make sure we play games so that we all have fun together. I can get so caught up in things that I'll go from one task to the next and forget to have a little fun.
Today, after several pleas from my kids, I got out the Uno cards. Today I would be playing with six-year-old Ryan and three-year-old Maegan. In the past, Maegan would sit on my lap and help me with my cards; but today, she wanted to be her "own team".
"Yep," she answered and put down a yellow card on top of the pile.
Round and round we went, with Maegan putting down the correct color on her turn all by herself. Then finally a turn came that she didn't have the right color.
"Do you have a card," I asked, pointing to the large symbol in the middle of the card, "that has a circle like this one?"
While I still had my finger next to the symbol, she went through each card, one a time. She carefully checked to see if she had a "match" - and when she found one, she put it down on top of the pile.
The game was a great success--especially since she won the first round!
"That's one point for the team 'My Little Pony' (as she had named her team)," I congratulated her. She beamed with pride. She had won and she had done it all by herself.
As I sat there admiring her accomplishment, I realized how easy it is to miss opportunities like this that are educational in nature. This game taught her taking turns, sorting, colors, and shapes.
It's always a great asset as a home school parent to have one more way to help our kids learn and practice what they've been learning. So, "Uno away"!!
Laura Bankston is author of Cooking with Kids Curriculum: "Homeschool Cooking in a Box" and the "Homeschool Cookbook". She currently home schools her three children, maintains home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service business. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com
One of the most difficult struggles in life for a... Read More
A certain educator was once asked at what point should... Read More
Imagine yourself lying flat on your back, totally strapped down... Read More
Researchers have estimated that 25-35% of children in the United... Read More
Often I have heard that leaders are born, not made.... Read More
When you think about it, probably the one thing that... Read More
Teens can freely access the Internet from computers at school,... Read More
A learning disability is defined as a permanent problem that... Read More
Many families, ours included, have learned that breakfast is eaten... Read More
When it comes to exams, or indeed any academic work,... Read More
The human brain never actually stops developing. Beginning formation in... Read More
Despite the potentially dangerous side-effects of Ritalin, public school authorities... Read More
Your child's leadership skills begin at the family dinner table.... Read More
I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More
Moving house can be an emotional experience for adults, so... Read More
As mothers, we play so many different roles and most... Read More
You have a chore to do around the house, and... Read More
To protect children's self-esteem or deflect complaints by parents, many... Read More
The girl's jaw dropped in horror as the police officer... Read More
The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty... Read More
Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed... Read More
Are you looking for the Ultimate Airplane Themed Party Games... Read More
Since so many would rather avoid the use of stimulant... Read More
Life is full of competition -- even in childhood. Kids... Read More
Plus size children and overweight children need patterns and clothing... Read More
Did you know that inconsistency on matters of discipline gives... Read More
According to a September 2004 study by the RAND Corporation,... Read More
I was reading "A Modern Infant Armada", a humor column... Read More
In the beginning, having children was just a byproduct of... Read More
Hope, excitement and anxiety all wrapped up in fresh haircuts... Read More
Would you like your child to be the best that... Read More
Despite serious reductions in funding for arts programs in... Read More
I remember when my daughter was born. Visions of her... Read More
There are millions of young children in this country who... Read More
Many families today are blending members from past relationships. It... Read More
Sometimes a change of perspective can make a huge difference... Read More
I've often thought that in 6 million years, archaeologists will... Read More
1. Diapers (5 -7 is a fairly safe supply)2. Wipes3.... Read More
The citizens of the early Roman Republic enjoyed an education... Read More
Managing money is one of the most critical skills we... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Is Homework Really That Important?Dear Friends,I no longer teach in... Read More
Congratulations on your new baby! You have just brought your... Read More
We are all aware of the child obesity epidemic that... Read More
The distressed adolescent often has feelings of abandonment, emotional detachment,... Read More
A tall, weary-looking mother with glasses, walked into my counseling... Read More
Bullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood.... Read More
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
"Just turn the lights off and go to sleep"Do you... Read More
When my son was 18 (and had finished school), he... Read More
Parenting Parenting |