Limiting Consumption- Beyond Montessori.

Montessori is known for limited items for children, but this idea needs to be for reasons beyond independence.  We need to help children understand why.  We need to talk to children in a real way about consumption and what it means.  It may seem grim, but I tell my children daily about chemicals in foods, and air, and stuff.  I need them to know that making the choices we do are for greater reasons than because I'm a stick in the mud.  I need them to know that the choices we make as a family are for environmental/global reasons and for the protection of their future.  I'm saddened at this reality and that they are exposed to this so young, but living in oblivion and dealing with the problem later on in life is harder when we have to make these choices daily.

This video came out just before my first daughter was born.  As much as I was aware of things, this simple video helped clarify and confirm my belief in raising a family "naturally".  Reduce, re-use, and live sustainably. I hope this helps you to make choices and to think before reaching out for things on the shelf.  Our children do not need to be inundated with so much stuff.  It's not about Montessori, it's about protecting the earth we live on.

Talk to your children at home and at school.  Bring about the awareness of living within our means.  Just because we "want" something does not mean we need to have it.  There is a chain before and after that "stuff" we possess.  Children can understand this better than we realize.  I'm constantly surprised at how my 5 year old has understood this.  Recently, she told me she wants to become a farmer when she grows up so we can take care of the earth and live with fresh milk and food without all the chemicals.  ( We are also reading Little House in the Big Woods-by Laura Ingalls Wilder)

A new year is also a new beginning and a new opportunity.  Enjoy going Back to School!

Oh! Balls.

The most versatile and simple toy that seems to be universal and timeless is the ball.  Today it seems as though it will be ball!  No seriously, the little one has had endless fun this morning playing with various balls around the house and kitchen. 

We started off with a basket of balls that I try to have ready for her.  Most often we have to hunt and find them from the four corners of the house, under dusty beds and couches.  But, when it's all nice and neat and kept for display, it is always enticing for activity.  I purchased a variety of balls with size, color, and most importantly texture.

Most people think I hate plastics and that I don't have anything like that in the home, NOT true.  To anyone who has been to my house, we do have some plastic toys.  Balls are one of them.  I think it would be pretty difficult to have children throwing wooden balls around the house.  No, no.  The other thing I have been opposed to are light up and sound making toys.  This is generally true. Unless it's a music instrument, there are no electrical noise making toys.  The one light up toy that I okay-ed was one of those hard bouncy balls that light up upon impact that my husband brought home from a work freebie. 

This has been so interesting to see how the little one learned to connect that the ball must be bounced hard for it to light up.  Simply rolling it does not turn it on.  She also discovered today that the effects of the lights are much brighter if she can squeeze between the couch and the computer table to the dark little corner, and then try to crawl behind the sofa.  It's amazing to see the brain making these connections right in front of you. 

Sorry for the fuzzy photo, but a moving child and light up ball on a cloudy day is hard to get.

Besides the plastic balls, we also have these pegs.  I bought them for my older daughter for her second Christmas, but at the time was looking for small pegs and wooden board similar to Cribbage Unfortunately I couldn't find one that wasn't the actual game, or a simple version of it.  I just wanted her to have the activity of putting the pegs into the holes. I saw that this activity was interesting to her whenever she helped my husband build any of the IKEA furniture.  He would have her insert the pegs into the little holes and then they would assemble the furniture together.  So, I found this game instead.  I do like it.  I does have some purposeful activities besides what I had wanted.  The pegs are also stack-able and you can then have them place them in rows of colors and such.  Now, I find that this is good for the little one, as the pegs are big and easy to grasp and not much of a choking hazard (One day I will also write about this).

 Here, I placed the pegs in the board and she mostly took them all out.  Below, she is trying to place them on top of each other. 

We also started on our tomato seeds from tomato fest.  I have been using their seeds for the last 3 years and have been so happy with each and every variety.  I think I have some 30 or more varieties by now, no I think it's more like 40.  This year, mostly a new batch with a repeat all time favorite of everyone's- the Black Cherry tomato.  I'm trying to be more organized and efficient, and with my helper who is now on her 3rd year of helping has really learned the ropes, it makes it a lot more fun, more work, but more fun. 

Also, in the greenhouse are some watermelon seeds, various cucumber seeds, some Thai and Chinese long beans, and colorful Asian eggplants.  We've had an unusual amount of rain over the last two days including hail, so I'm hoping that my newly sprouted radishes, and carrots will survive.  Also in the beds are Rainbow corn, and some Lemon Sunflowers.  The 3 year old had a blast gardening in her undies and planting almost all the corn seedlings from the nursery.  She dug the holes, loosened the root ball and then covered it back up.  I was so happy to see that she is now able to do this on her own and that the plants will survive!