Is there anyone else out there.....

[Patooties]

I wouldn't say we have any structure to our days at home - we go to gymnastics, playgroup, the library and Zumba lol. But there are times when i initiate activities with her. For instance, i'll note that she is taking an interest in saying the days of the week - i'll choose a story that focuses on days of the week - or shapes - we'll do a shape matching puzzle. She's starting to talk about numbers, so we build with blocks and count them, or again read stories with numbers in them. So they're not structured as such, but i have initiated them, and we always have fun.

[Just Me]

I don't do structure either. We do playdough, craft, art and read a million books if DD asks but mostly we just play, dance and sing. I never plan ahead of time. I have never bothered to teach counting (on purpose) but DD1 has picked it up and she sings the alphabet though I am sure she has no idea what she is singing. I also talk to her a lot because it is giving her the vocabulary to express herself. Last week she came out with 'Mummy, I am going to make faces' and she made a sad, happy, angry, surprised, excited, sleepy and sick face. I never taught her that, but we do talk a lot about feelings.

I find it funny going to playgroup - they do craft there and I let my kids do whatever they want. They stick things down however they land so their pictures and collages are always a bit overlapping, disorientated and look like they were made by a toddler (which I loooove by the way). The other mums sit with their toddlers and basically do their craft for them. Everything gets stuck down perfectly and all the craft end up looking like perfect replicas of the example. I don't even bother labelling the ones my kids do, it is pretty obvious compared to the others because my kids do it themselves. DH has them stuck all over his office wall at work and I think that's what being a kid is about.

I have focused more on self care and that is probably the only intentional teaching I do. I have been trying to teach DD1 how to pack her own bag when we go out, take her lid off her lunch box and put it back on, put on her own hat and shoes, pull up her undies after she uses the toilet and just basic skills I think will make life easier for her next year when she starts kindy. I figure that she goes to kindy and school to learn how to write, read and do maths and the teachers there are qualified to teach her so unless she wants to do it, I have just tried to focus on getting her independent to the point that she will cope away from me. I think if she can confidentally care for herself in those ways, it will be easier for her to go to kindy.

[ashie]

hehe as a child i had my kitty's! their lots of photos of me with a cat! i remember walking about feeding my animals out the backyard in my wellies! DS 1 is the same with wellies lol, and both boys loves their animals poor kitten gets her fur pulled all ways, my favourite toy when i was little was my collection of plastic animals i played with them for hours and days! DS 1 loves match box cars, spends hours making car noises and pushing them about, DS 2 well he loves his feet lol, their naughty feet get up to mischief alot specially with the surround sound amp lol. oh i love them dearly, they always make me laugh and smile everyday, i been told i should put oldest in a play group or day care but i would miss him too much! being a SAHM has been so rewarding, and kids themselves learn by themselves i love watching them trying to figure things out, like opening things, DS1 is very good at that lol!

[Miss.September]

Nothing structured with my 15 month old here either! She plays, eats, we read, and then she plays again. Lately she hasn't even wanted to play with me, crawls off, total attitude of "You're so not cool mum". Hehehe. We talk a lot and point out pictures in her books and say what each thing is.

When I was DD's age, my mum was pregnant with my brother and she said as her pregnancy went on, it got really hot (he was born 82, around Ash Wednesday time) and all she could do was sit with her feet in buckets of water and ice or lie on her bed. She said that I'd sit beside her with books and "read". I rekon I turned out okay, if I do say so myself!!

I think you're a good mum MS

[aussienic]

I am the same.. I let my kids play pretty much what they want. If they want to do drawing I set them up with pencils and paper. Sometimes I will sit with them. If my Ds3 asks me to help write something I will help but generally he seems to work it out for himself..

[Indadhanu]

Do you mean structured as in planned? What do they say... best laid plans always go astray! Most things we do at home (when I am home and not at work sigh...) are spontaneous and follow on with what she's doing... having a big colouring session... lets get the paint out and see if she's interested. She's spending loads of time playing pretend with her babies so we've got some 'props' and are sneakily teaching her some dressing skills by encouraging her to dress her baby (hehehehe) with zips, press-studs etc. Buttons are a bit beyond her at the moment but we'll get there hehe.

But if you mean do we wake up and say "today we'll do this this and this"... then no. Anything that seems 'teachy' happens incidentally, and at her initiation anyway. Hang on let me find the best poem ever...... I have it in my professional portfolio to remind me of the important things

I tried to teach my child with books;
He gave me only puzzled looks.
I tried to teach my child with words;
They passed by him often unheard.
Despairingly, I turned aside
"How shall I teach this child," I cried?
Into my hand he put the key,
"Come," he said, "And play with me".
-Anon

[Mad Scientist]

I tried to teach my child with books;
He gave me only puzzled looks.
I tried to teach my child with words;
They passed by him often unheard.
Despairingly, I turned aside
"How shall I teach this child," I cried?
Into my hand he put the key,
"Come," he said, "And play with me".
-Anon

That is my parenting philosophy! Fantastic little poem!! Thank you for sharing Leasha

By structured, I mean teachy you must do this, you must do that. Now we will do this today, now we will do that. I just want my girls to play! They learn plenty. I think that by watching me at home, they are learning vital life skills, like cooking, washing clothes etc. They help me and I show them how to do things, but I don't make it an activity iykwim? It's nice to know I'm not the only one with this philosophy in this day and age

[Mrs Jak]

By structured, I mean teachy you must do this, you must do that. Now we will do this today, now we will do that. I just want my girls to play!

Wowsers! IMO if people are 'structuring' their 15 month olds like that, than I would be thinking they are either extremely competitive people and/or control freaks trying to live their lives through their children... Just my opinion

[black_rose]

We used to have a structured routine for dd1 when she was in a brace but that was because she needed the brace free time and it had to be used to strengthen her legs etc, this was from 8 weeks to 12 months and it took a little bit of time to break her free from the routines but now we follow her cues - cooking, play dough drawing or just cuddles.

[Fleur]

OMG no you are not alone. (with my older kids) yes we read books, we did drawings & writing etc but at their pace, what they wanted to do, how they wanted to do it...

I think it teaches them independence & creativity too. The last thing I want is to teach my kid that they 'must' do it this way you know? Part of learning is being independent & indidvidual IMO.

everyone is always going to have an opinion on how you should properly raise a child, but as long as i know that my children are happy, healthy and know that they are the most important people in my world, then i know that i will produce happy, well balanced adults. you have a lifetime to act like you have a rod up your ass, right now, i want them to be free and natural.

AWESOME boobaloo!