simple needs

As I have gradually become a more experienced mother I have come to realise how unnecessary it is, in fact, how important it is to refrain from, trying to keep our children constantly entertained and stimulated. I really believe strongly that children need time to become bored and then find something to amuse themselves with. Each Monday I look after my friend’s little girl who is 3 years old, as well as my own two youngest boys – Ben (5 years old) and Teddy (18 months old). My friend pays me to do this while she is out at work. Until recently, I would never have imagined that I could possibly enjoy doing what is basically a family daycare situation. However, in my new, simple life, I have been consciously taking the time to let my children and our visitors find what they want to play themselves. Of course there are lots of toys and activities around the house, but I don’t direct the children to anything in particular. As a result, they always seem to come up with the most wonderful games, using very few props, which are mostly inside their heads. They also love to engage in everyday activities such as cleaning! Three year old Melody is very fond of cleaning – whenever she sees me wiping down benches or tables she asks to help! This week I gave her a bottle of window cleaner and a cloth and she started cleaning the windows around my house that she could reach, which were of course covered in dirty finger marks from children touching them as they peer out the windows. Ben and Teddy then decided to join in! Ben did the spraying and Melody polished with the cloth while Teddy watched. I watched from a distance and could hear Ben congratulating Melody on her work with comments like “Good job, MelMel – well done!” I was so proud of my boy and so pleased to see all of them so happy with such a simple task. And, as you can see, we are now able to better enjoy the amazing view from our loungeroom windows.