Piles of Learning

I happen to be one of those mamas that thoroughly enjoys reclining at the end of a long day of cleaning to enjoy a spotless house.  Of course, this will only occur for 5-10 minutes before the next toy box dump or full sink of dishes starts all over again!  As moms, we need to embrace these things, even if teaching cleanliness has its place and taking care of things means putting things away, messes are fine, too.  This is how children learn a multitude of things, including the clean-up process afterward.

One mess I am embracing in our current season is all the piles.  My 2-year-old little guy has grown accustomed to making piles with whatever is in his path.  Because I did not want him dumping every toy he has into one big pile to spend an hour sorting twice a day -whew- I started to brainstorm all the new things he could pile and play dump truck with.  I caught him with the craft glue, piling it up on the paper instead of gluing down other items… that was a big clue that I needed some intentionality with him!  Now we use dry beans, wooden beads, dry pasta, scrabble letters, even dull-end screws while I keep a close watch on him.  We pile the couch cushions and stuffed animals; and have even been known to use our backyard pinecones and pile outside!

I hope you will join with me to observe our young boys’ need to dig, dump and pile!  If we are intentional on the front end, we mommas can create some fun and safe environments fostering the love of making messes.  And, maybe if we are extremely intentional, we will also make these times learning moments to show them how to tidy what needs picked up.

Hi! Laura here, enjoying writing, crafting, baking and outdoor time with my kiddos! Growing up in East TN, I am drawn to the mountains and anything with trees and woods. I am a novice gardener and enjoy experimenting with what will grow in our area. Speaking of, my little family of 4 currently lives right outside Atlanta, GA with our coonhound Dixie. My daughter Olivia (9 years old) and I have incorporated a side business into our school time, making kits for families to get back to hands-on craft time! I look forward to sharing some of our craft ideas and other creative thoughts with you!

Link to our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/133835950644792/

*This is a public group that should be available in the Facebook search bar when typing: Kit Crafts*