It came to my attention that there is a need to teach children effective communication and effective listening skills.
When you think about communication, lots of people think that it is just about talking.
Well everyone can talk.
But it is using the right words to get across how you feel and exactly what you are trying to say, so that people are miss understanding you.
I recognized this with Miss Personality lately.
She is going through some pre pubescent stuff at the moment.
I think some of her grumpy/ moody/ frustrations, may be out of being miss understood.
I forget that at 9 years old, her vocabulary is still growing.
It must be hard to try and get across to someone how you are feeling, but also know the right words to describe it.
So we have been doing lots of talking about using the right words, expressing patience with each other in moments of mis understanding.
Also Miss Personality is going through a 'blame' stage.
I think this is a common stage, but just explaining to her that before she can blame someone for something, sometimes we need to analyse ourselves and see if something we could have done, could have changed the situation for the better.
After all we can't control someone else behavior or actions, we can only control our own and how we deal with others peoples behavior and actions.
Any way here is what Miss Personality has been up to this week :)
Monday 16th June 2014
Miss Personality can't get enough of the Garfield comic books she found at the library.
I see her reading them at least once a day.
Today it was while she was eating her breakfast.
Just as well we don't have to be any where in a hurry.
I read to her The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip by Joanne Cole and Bruce Degan.
It talked about atoms, electricity, electric currents, blockers/ insulators, magnets and electricity. How a lightning bolt is made, power plants and how they work.
While reading this book, Miss Personality remembered programshe had watched in the past that had talked about things to do with electricity, like Mythbusters and The Magic School Bus episodes we have watched on Netflix.
She also watched the DVD on Horrible History and any dates of interest she found, added them to the time line we have made.
Tuesday 17th June 2014\
I asked Miss Personality if she would like to do some baking next week.
I knew our shopping day was coming up.
So I asked her to find a recipe in my recipe collection, then write down the list of ingredients and then tick off the ones we had, so we knew what to buy in the shopping.
She didn't want to do it at first, as she wasn't keen on the hand writing side of it.
Tried negotiating with me, of other ways she could do it without having to do the writing.
But I managed to get her to write it down in the end.
She then dried the dishes after doing her personal jobs.
Watched a couple of episodes of Dr Quinn Medicine Woman with mum.
Walked to the office for mum, to exchange 2 $1 coins, for a $2 coin so I could do some washing.
When she came back she watched a couple more episodes of Kid Detectives.
In the middle of an episode came out to tell me a new 'Did you know' fact she had learnt :)
Did I know there were 6 bones in the ear.
Then she went on to watch a Scooby Doo DVD.
I know it looks like she watches a lot of dvd's.
Some days it concerns me, then she amazes on a day doing something un related to what she had been watching on a dvd. Will tell me something she had learnt from watching that dvd.
So I am slowly learning to just let it go.
Wednesday 18th June 2014
Started off our day watching a couple of episodes of CSI Miami.
We got the dvd's from the library.
Miss Personality has an interest in forensics/ clue finding/ detective type stuff at the moment.
She is enjoying seeing how they piece together a crime scene to figure out who did it.
Went for a drive to the local mall 'Bayfair'.
It's funny how girls in particular are naturally drawn to shiny things such as jewelry.
She had a great time, excitedly looking at one lot of gems to another at lots of different jewelry shops.
Talking about what ones are used for engagement rings and wedding rings.
She also observed the differences in prices of our latest interest - loom bands and the rubber bands that you use on them.
Miss Personality also asked at a shop, when they were getting some more bands in, and what kinds they were ordering.
Came home for lunch.
She heated up a pie in the microwave.
Watched another couple of episodes of CSI Miami.
Watched dvd Suzy's World - The Body.
It was all about digestion, hair, icky things our body does, smelly feet, why our body makes rude noises, what our lungs do.
She then went on to watch another Suzy's World - Bright Light.
What makes a shadow, why do we need to wear sunblock, what is a mirror, how does a camera work, what is colour, why do things look smaller further away.
Miss Personality then painted her nails with nail polish.
Spotted the caretakers son, home from school, then ran off to play with him till dinner time.
Thursday 19th June 2014
Miss Personality read some more pages of her Garfield comic while eating breakfast.
She then helped me with the grocery shopping.
Pushing the trolley, and then putting everything we were buying on the counter for the checkout lady to process.
Watched the dvd Australia.
Talked about how the half cast aborigine children were taken off their parents and raised by priest and nuns.
Miss Personality then chose to use some of her pebbles to do Minecraft on the ipad for an hour.
She later showed me the light house she had been inspired to make.
Later used another 5 pebbles to watch a couple of episodes on dvd of Kid Detectives.
I have been very impressed with Miss Personality's efforts today.
Her grumpiness is noticeably less.
Got all her jobs done wonderfully and was super helpful at the supermarket.
As soon as the caretakers son came home from school and Miss Personality spotted him, she was off to play outside again till dinner time.
Friday 20th June 2014
She started off her day watching the dvd Suzy's World - Space Place.
Why does the moon change shape, why do satellites fall out of the sky, where did the moon come from, what is a black hole in space, what would it be like to live on another planet, what makes night and day.
She then decided to put all the tri dominoes together by herself.
Miss Personality then did her Barbie - Nutcracker puzzle.
Chose to use 5 pebbles to do minecraft for 60min.
Miss Personality asked to watch the movie Twilight again.
Went to the petrol station to get out gas bottled filled.
She made some observations and asked some interesting questions that brought about some conversations when dad got home, as mum didn't know the answers.
Why is the gas bottle heavy when it is filled?
What is is filled with?
Is it a liquid or like air?
Can you see the gas?
Went home and she carried on with her minecraft.
Spotted the caretakers son and went off to play outside till dinner time.
Miss Personality has been counting down the days till saturday, as is having a friend come and sleepover.
This is the very first time she has had someone come stay that isn't her sister or brothers.
They have had lots of fun doing loom bands, sausage in a bun with hot chips and chocolate milk for dinner, reading books while they were waiting for dinner to settle till they could go in the hot pools.
I have had lots of special cuddles and thank yous for inviting her friend to stay for the night.
So cute and so glad she got to add this experience to all her others in her life :)
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