My 2 and 1/2 year old son went Kite flying for the first time yesterday. There are few moments in my life that have given this much joy. The strong wind really helped and all he had to do was hold on. Of course he dropped the Kite several times and Daddy feels like he did when he used to play tackle football from all the running but it was still great. A note - Kite flying has really changed. In my day we had paper kites that would tear up when they even saw a tree. Today's cheap model is made out of stuff that is very tear resistant. Which got me to thinking.
So much of my youth was hands on learning. Putting together Kites, Go Karts, positioning the G I Joe men for battle. Today's kids have video games for all that and I think they are missing something. The socializaton that comes with group play. You and your buddy taking turns riding that go kart that you both built until it falls apart - usually the second ride.
On the other hand - Jumpstart preschool has provided my non attending day care 2 and 1/2 year old with a tremendous advantage. He doesn't like to talk but knows as much as any four year old. I E he knows the alphabet but won't say it. If you ask him to get the letter Z - he will say Z and go pick up the Z. But he won't say the alphabet song. Same with colors - objects - numbers up to 10. My one year old daughter is even more impressive and lends to the observation that girls actually develop faster than boys. She turns one on Sunday and began talking at 8 months. Her vocabulary is about 100 words and growing every day. Not ma ma and da da either. Water, eat, apple, boy, girl, dog, cat, open, close, Elmo, Barney, cookie, meat, aunty - you name it. Very good at letter recognition too - just not as good as her brother yet. Take her by any computer and she says school - as in welcome to jump start preschool - the opening song.
I am determined to try to mix both technology and hands on with my children. Just my thoughts - and I was wondering if there are some tips out there from older parents.
Schwa
So much of my youth was hands on learning. Putting together Kites, Go Karts, positioning the G I Joe men for battle. Today's kids have video games for all that and I think they are missing something. The socializaton that comes with group play. You and your buddy taking turns riding that go kart that you both built until it falls apart - usually the second ride.
On the other hand - Jumpstart preschool has provided my non attending day care 2 and 1/2 year old with a tremendous advantage. He doesn't like to talk but knows as much as any four year old. I E he knows the alphabet but won't say it. If you ask him to get the letter Z - he will say Z and go pick up the Z. But he won't say the alphabet song. Same with colors - objects - numbers up to 10. My one year old daughter is even more impressive and lends to the observation that girls actually develop faster than boys. She turns one on Sunday and began talking at 8 months. Her vocabulary is about 100 words and growing every day. Not ma ma and da da either. Water, eat, apple, boy, girl, dog, cat, open, close, Elmo, Barney, cookie, meat, aunty - you name it. Very good at letter recognition too - just not as good as her brother yet. Take her by any computer and she says school - as in welcome to jump start preschool - the opening song.
I am determined to try to mix both technology and hands on with my children. Just my thoughts - and I was wondering if there are some tips out there from older parents.
Schwa
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