LHFHG- activities questions (spin off from other thread)

[Rebecca]

Dear seasoned HOD moms,
I too have a five year old who feels embarrassed by some of the dramatic play and some of the rhymes. I have moved to removing some of the siblings from the situation so that it is just me and the four/five year old. This has helped. I have also demonstrated them first myself- and then did them again, inviting the children to join. This has also helped. Do any of you ladies have any other tips... I have talked a lot with my own dear sister about this- and she has offered some great advice- and just today I thought: I need to call her again! But when I saw the other post- I thought maybe I could glean from you ladies as well...

Julie- I loved your post about galloping around the house on the horse... that is the attitude I want to have with dc.

I think these activities are important for a variety of reasons. One- they reinforce concepts, Two- they stimulate thinking, Three- they emphasize important truths- etc.

Just wondering if anyone can help. My son does express a stubborn or bashful response. He also is in a phase of not wanting people to "look at him" or watch him... feeling embarrassed in other areas of his life. He will be six end of November.

Thanks,
Rebecca

[water2wine]

Have you tried doing it with him and really enjoying it with him. My kids were a little reluctant at first and so that is what I did. Nobody in my house could be sillier than me and they loved doing it together. I think it is just about making it fun. If you have fun with it that becomes contagious. I know other moms will have great advice but just wanted to share our experience.

[my3sons]

Glad you liked my "horsing around"! One thing that helped my ds get it at first was for me to say the line and act it out, and then for him to say the line and act it out. We also do it several times until he really knows it well enough to get into it - it's very hard to get into it if you don't know the words and actions yet. I really agree with water2wine that the more into it I get the more he does. It should seem like WE are having a great time doing the rhymes too - like we just can't wait to do them, and we are dying to do them just one more time! I may regret this, but I am going to share this. One funny thing we do that does help my dc to be silly in front of one another is dance to music. We put on music - LOUD - and do a bunch of silly dancing. I pretend to be a great swing dancer and twirl them around and pull them in and out, join arms and swing them around. I am NOT a swing dancer, and I look very goofy I am sure, but they love to laugh at me, and I love to laugh at them. (Dare I say I have polished my moonwalk and electric slide and shown those little gems off to them as well? ) Anyway, they would NEVER do this in front of other people, and I wouldn't be caught dead doing it either, but we do it every now and then just to laugh, laugh, laugh. I used to do this with all of my sisters' kids too, and there isn't a one of them (even the 17 yo boy) who won't cut the rug with me to Mockingbird .

Kids are too serious these days, IMHO. My dad is a very funny guy, and he was constantly making us girls laugh with outlandish stories. They are some of my best memories. I don't want my kids to think school is a serious, somber business - sometimes, just cutting loose and having a good old laugh together is the best thing we did all day! This transfers into school - so maybe getting your dc to laugh and express themselves in other ways (dare I suggest you showing off your best swing dancing - how I wish I could pop over! ) will transfer into their school time too. Kind of off topic here - but whether it's in school or anything else - laughter is the spice of life!

In Christ,
Julie

P.S. I just read your other post about "a-bridged", and I'm still chuckling! You know how to have a good time like that with your ds - the rhymes will come - trust me.

[water2wine]

One funny thing we do that does help my dc to be silly in front of one another is dance to music. We put on music - LOUD - and do a bunch of silly dancing. I pretend to be a great swing dancer and twirl them around and pull them in and out, join arms and swing them around. I am NOT a swing dancer, and I look very goofy I am sure, but they love to laugh at me, and I love to laugh at them. (Dare I say I have polished my moonwalk and electric slide and shown those little gems off to them as well? )

Oh please can we get this on video for the weekly check in! Julie I am the same way. I love to see actually if I can embarrass them with my silliness. My kids love it. Hey, cheap entertainment and laughing is good for the soul.

[Kathleen]

One funny thing we do that does help my dc to be silly in front of one another is dance to music. We put on music - LOUD - and do a bunch of silly dancing. I pretend to be a great swing dancer and twirl them around and pull them in and out, join arms and swing them around. I am NOT a swing dancer, and I look very goofy I am sure, but they love to laugh at me, and I love to laugh at them. (Dare I say I have polished my moonwalk and electric slide and shown those little gems off to them as well? )

Oh please can we get this on video for the weekly check in! Julie I am the same way. I love to see actually if I can embarrass them with my silliness. My kids love it. Hey, cheap entertainment and laughing is good for the soul.

HA! We do this, too! Although I really do need some moves...I don't have much dancin' experience. (We have a blast with the game Hullaballoo...You oughta see our "Funky, Monkey Dance" ) Can you imagine how fun a HODie get-together would be?

Kathleen

[my3sons]

I'm so glad I'm not the only goofy dancin' mom out there! Water2wine - I say, "You first!" about sharing a dancing video!!! And Kathleen - what a fun idea to have a "HODie-down"! Seriously though, I love coming here to the HOD board - it is truly a breath of fresh air. After spending only a moment or two on other boards, I remember why I love this board so much, and I scurry back here where the people are Christian and where their words are more Christ-like. So, bust-a-move Mamas! Life is good!

In Christ,
Julie

[Mom2Monkeys]

I'm going through the same thing with my soon to be 5yo son in LHTH. Good to know we aren't alone in this! He started off just hiding his face or trying to sneek into the other room. 2yo really gets into it though so that helps the 4yo. As this week has gone by, he went from hiding to mumbling with a nervous laugh to reapeating after me quietly to repeating after me with a giggle to showing it off to his friends outside!! Outside performing from my kid who as a toddler would cry real tears if someone caught him singing or acting silly! He and his drama queen sister are day and night. Although we'll likely repeat this process with each new activity like this, I'm sure like the other posts said, it will come. I'm guilty of not goofing off enough and I'm sure he needs the example. So maybe I should go find some good dancing shoes...

[my3sons]

As this week has gone by, he went from hiding to mumbling with a nervous laugh to reapeating after me quietly to repeating after me with a giggle to showing it off to his friends outside!! Outside performing from my kid who as a toddler would cry real tears if someone caught him singing or acting silly!...So maybe I should go find some good dancing shoes...

Oh Mom2Monkeys - how well put! Thinking back, this is exactly the process my oldest ds (who is more reserved) went through with anything like this. In complete contrast, we also have a drama-king - my second ds, who whooped it up with the rhymes on the first day, and even does them for my dh during supper (Can you guess we're working on the habit of "sitting down" at the table during supper with him? lol: ). Ironically, I actually think it was more important for my older ds to do the rhymes than my younger son. The rhymes taught my older son to cut loose a bit and not be so incredibly cautious and reserved. God wants us to live a FULL life, and I want that for all my sons - not just the ones who naturally exude joy. Thanks for giving a good look into that process Mom2Monkeys! And I think you definitely need some dancing shoes - and possibly a feather boa!

In Christ,
Julie

[Mom2Monkeys]

And I think you definitely need some dancing shoes - and possibly a feather boa!

In Christ,
Julie

ROFL!!! I got completely tickled at this one! The kids are giving me curious looks as I type. Just hink of the looks I'll get when I'm dancing around the living room in my new dancing shoes while I swing a feather boa around. Ha!

[Carrie]

Oh ladies, I'm laughing out loud at the computer! I too will "cut a rug" with my boys in the kitchen, even the toddler jitter-bugs" by jumping up and down. I agree that it's so important to have times when we're serious and other times when the joy of life just bubbles out.

As my oldest son gets to a more serious stage in life, I love holding onto the joyous parts in our day. It makes me remember to cherish these moments with my little ones, as they will get older and more serious soon enough! I love the sound of laughter ringing through the house, and those are the moments when I think how good life is. May you have the joy of laughter ringing throughout your own houses today!

Blessings,
Carrie