As you put groceries away, involve your child by saying something like, “The frozen food goes on the shelf,” or “I’m putting the paper towels in the refrigerator.” Do they catch your “mistake?” Encourage them to share with you their thinking: Where should those items go and why? Then let them take a turn trying… Continue reading Put Away Groceries Together
Category: 6 Loving Habits
Special Helper
Invite your child to be the cleanup helper by giving them special jobs they can do. You can say, “Please help me find what needs to be washed in a washing machine.” Or “Can you help wipe down the table or sweep up the crumbs on the floor?”
Describing Food
Take turns with your child coming up with words that describe what they’re eating. If they have a carrot ask, “What does it look like?” They might say, “orange,” and you might say, “pointy.” Keep the conversation going with questions like, “What does it feel, smell, and taste like?” or “What does it sound like… Continue reading Describing Food
Sort Socks
Sorting the laundry? Encourage your child to help you find all of the socks and make a pile of them. Pick a sock and pretend it is a puppet looking for its matching friend. Celebrate when you find a match. Then let them take a turn as the puppet.
Help with Chores
Include your child in common chores. For example, start with, “It’s time to sweep! Can you hold the dustpan for me?” Then, let them dump the dirt into the trash. Don’t be surprised when they ask you to hold the dustpan for them. Go back and forth. Taking turns is how they learn best and… Continue reading Help with Chores
The Fix It Game
Pretend to fix things with your child. With a plastic spoon, pretend to fix a hinge on a kitchen cabinet. “I’m fixing this broken hinge on the cabinet door. Now it’s your turn.” After their turn, hold out your hand saying, “My turn!” Keep taking turns, smiling while you work.
Laundry Sort
While you’re doing laundry, ask your child to help. Invite them to sort clothes into piles of dark and light colors.
Same Game
Tell your child about a favorite food. Ask them to name a food they like that’s in the same category, like fruit, but different. Keep count of how many different things you both like in the same category. Play the same game with something else, like clothes!
Silly Faces
Make a silly face and ask your child to make it too. Then ask them to make a sillier one for you to copy. Then take turns back and forth and see who can be the silliest.
Stomp Dance
Sing, or turn on music, and dance with your child! See if they can copy what you do with your feet. Try stomping one foot three times. What do they do? Copy their moves and build on them by adding a jump or going on tiptoe. Do they do it too? Keep the dance going!
