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and complete each task. If the theme of the day ls habitats, station activities can range from building a Lego house and drawing your dream house, to assembhng ajigsaw photo of a stable. Once, as part of a challenge, I made my son lead his
do with your children - the important thing is to spend some time with them.
lessonsl After every c1ass, Linus would spend every single moment practising
It may not seem like much, but trust me, these are the memories your children will treasure of their childhood.
after completrng his homework, as well as before and after dinner - once he discovered what she had learntl When
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we srgned him up for piano lessons six months later, he took to them like a fish
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blindfolded sibling around the table. It was a simple task but it forced my kids to trust
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each other and work together. The trick is to get them to coooperate, so that they can advance in the game. If
It's important to let each child express his/her feelings during a disagreement. Rather than taking one child's side over
they fight and argue, they'1l be stuck at the station until they learn to collaborate and complete the station's activity. Though it takes time to set up the scavenger hunt,
it's definitely rewarding to see my children team up to get to the treasure. Tedious as it is to see my
children fight, make up,
fight and calm down, all is forgotten when
theyjoin forces to achieve their
goa1. The
reward doesn't need to be big or expensive - youjust need to acknowledge your children's efforts such as by giving them a small snack, lrttle erasers, glow sticks, as well as mini coiouring and decorating kits from your iocal craft store.
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Sometimes, children tend to argue and act out to gain attention. This is especially
true when I am busy with Lucas and trying help Linus with his school work. Instead of sitting quietly, Amelia often rhrows a tantrum or demands my attention. So, after I finish studying with Linus and have
put Lucas down for a nap, I usually try to spend some one-on-one time with Amelia. We read, do a puzzle together, or srmply put together an art-and-craft project. Suddenly she's an angel again. At times
like these, I make a mental note to be more mindful of my daughter's feelings and to spend time with her. I have a couple of friends who arrange one-on-one "dates" regularly with each of
their children. R, a mother of three adorable girls, takes her daughters out in turn for lunch and then to the library to borrow books.
father of two boys and a giri, brings one son to the gym, followed by a P, a
trarn ride for some {ried dough fritters and soya milk. It really doesn't matter what you
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another, acknowiedge his feelings and try to let hrm work it out on his own. This is easier said than done, I know. Unless they are hurling Lego pieces or books at each other, I usually try to let my
kids settle their own differences, rather than act as mediator all the time. In this day and age where most kids have everything worked out for them, they need to learn how to resolve conflrcts on their own.
to water. This method is definitely much better than if I had forced him to take up the instrument rn the first piace
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When you have mul io e l,idv. ) oL tend to compare them. "Why can,t you be more like your cousin, M, instead of running a1l over the place?" or',Do
you know when J was your age, he was already doing r5o piece jigsaw puzzles and reading books?" In this ,llosu society lt's easyto get carried away
making comparisons. Yet, as parents, we have to remind ourselves constantly that
"We need to be our child's number one cheerlead.er and make sure he knows we love him no m.cltteii"ow he does, as long as he tries his best.,' tt,
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One unexpected advantage of sibling rivalry is when one chiid is inspired to work harder or try something new, just because the other sibling is doing it. Although Linus is my oldest child, we had never thought of signing him up for piano lessons, since he never seemed
interested. Nor did I want him to take up something that didn't motivate him, which would have meant that it was solely up to me to "force" him to practise. On the other hand, Ameiia has always loved music. After a three month course at a local music school, we decided was
it
time to sign Amelia up for private
piano lessons. What we didn't expect was that L nus would spend -nu^L mo.e ,ime or the piano than Amelia, even though his sister was the one gettinq formal
95 Mother&Baby november
14
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every child rs different and unique, so what works for one child may not work for another. One thing I always remind myself oI is that every child develops at his or hor own oace. lnsreao of pu-r ing o .-
own child down by comparing him constantly with his sibling or friend, we need to be his number one cheerleader and make sure he knows we love him no matter how he does, as long as he tries his best. Pitting one chijd against anorher onlS ^reares rrore ani-nos ty among siblings.
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When ali else fails, just deal with the spats one day at a trme and remrnd yourself that your children are only going to be young once. So, do the best you can and don't sweat over it. This phase soon pass (frngers crossed)l t"g
will