The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In
If anyone is wondering why I'm not texting and returning emails as much as I did before ;)
I've been trying to put down my phone unless the kids are not around, and I haven't plugged in the computer at all unless they're in bed. I'm trying to give them my full attention and spend Bud's entire morning nap doing things with Madeleine. She is EATING UP the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. In fact she wanted to keep going today so we did two lessons in a row. She's learning her letter sounds and sounding out short words already on lesson 10! She's also finding the letter sounds she knows in her books. I'm really impressed and loving seeing her learn! (Of course this has it's drawbacks. For example she has this book she loves called Dirty Joe the Pirate (I know!)) Ken and I don't really enjoy the "moral" of the story at the end, so we change the words around a little. It says, "If you've got an older sister then I feel bad for you, for just as long as she's alive she'll tell you what to do." We change it to "If you've got an older sister then I feel glad for you, for just as long as she's alive she'll be there to care for you." She's on to us.
So the nesting is kicking in quickly this time! I'm figuring out how to move around everyone's rooms. I think that we're going to leave Madeleine in her room - she's got a pretty girly room. There's a room right next to hers that is the spare room (or Sew's room hahaha!) That has all our storage in it - wedding stuff, college stuff, craft stuff, file cabinets, bookshelves, etc. I gotta find a place for all that! We have a great screened porch but it has a giant hot tub in it that we've never used in the 6 years we've been here. I put it on freecycle today. I can't wait to get rid of it. So after we get that room cleaned out, we're going to eventually move John Paul into it - he can have Madeleine's old crib and old changing table/hutch. Then we can make her room a big girl room. That way, we can use the nursery as it's already set up for the new baby. Perfect plan ;) I can't WAIT to actually be able to use the screened porch!
5 comments:
I admire what you are doing and I am going to have to take a lesson from you and try to unplug myself. The book sounds amazing and I just wanted to throw out there, for those that let their kiddos watch videos, that Leap Fr.og has a video, letter factory, at tar.get for $10 that is appropriate for 2 and older and my sister swears by it. I think your girl is past this, but there is also a word factory and number factory one too. Anyway, just wanted to say hi really, and that I admire your parenting.
That books is super and a recommended text in Mother of Divine Grace's HS Curriculum I believe. Michelle has used it on both kids to much success!
Good for you for letting go of the hot tub. I'd be saying "we might still use it".
And I applaud your prioritizing. Michelle used to have a sign above the computer (she's addicted, or was) that says "A distracted Mother is a curse to her child." And I feel like that a lot too when I am telling Maggie to wait while I finish browsing blogs or FB'ing or, you know, eating:)
That reading book is AWESOME!! I use it and love it!
I'm off to read the article, I parented my oldest children unplugged...we didn't even have internet until I had 3 children, back in the early 90's hardly anyone did...I often think to those times now and wonder.
Oh, and WBRider is right about those awesome videos. We love them!!
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