Like most siblings, the girls tend to argue over who gets to do what.  I like to give the girls options for activities they do throughout the day. They argue over who gets a certain cup, plate, or utensil; who gets to pick out the fruit and vegetable; what TV show/movie they watch; who gets on the computer first; who has to brush their teeth first; who has to shower first, and everything else there is to argue about, as all young sisters do!

The other day I had an idea. They should get to make the decisions on different days. I sat down with the girls and told them that we were going to make a schedule. We had a conversation about what a schedule is and what they argue over each day. We wrote down all the things that they argue over. We wrote down all the days of the week that I am at their house. I let them choose who got to pick things out each day. We talked about how many days there are during the week and the girls figured out that there are 5 days that I am there. I asked them how we could make everything fair to the girls if there were 5 days. They decided that one day a week I would get to make the decisions. Each day they get to do different things so both of the girls are getting to do something each day. When we got done making the schedule,  we taped it up in the kitchen. 

We have been using the schedule for over a week now. It has worked out better than I thought.  They are not arguing over these things anymore. In the morning we go over the schedule together. The schedule has taught the girls how to read a chart and has also helped them with their reading skills. We have conversations about the days of the week,  what today is, what yesterday was, and what tomorrow will be. I now firmly believe in a schedule!

The other day I decided to do an experiment with the girls that I am babysitting. I decided to make goo. The girls had never made goo before so I thought this would be a great experiment. I set the materials out so that the girls could mix the water and corn starch into their own separate bowls. As they were mixing the water and corn starch with their hands they were making observations about what was happening. I encouraged them to explain their thoughts and reasonings. I would ask questions such as, "I wonder why that is happening?"  The girls explained to me that when they added corn starch to the mixture it became harder and thicker and when they added water to the mixture it became runnier. 

If you have never made goo before then you should. It is a lot of fun even for me as an adult. When the mixture was in the container it appeared to be hard and be a solid, but when you try and pick it up it became a liquid. This is a great experiment for children because it gives them a chance to really investigate and try and figure out what is going on. I made sure and asked leading questions and encouraged the girls to explain their reasoning to me. I was very surprised with the girls' thoughts and ideas about the goo.

Over the weekend, my nephew Adrin turned one year old. He is the only grandson so needless to say he got a lot of stuff for his first birthday. For the past year I have had so much fun watching him grow. Right before he was born, I was taking the Child Development class. I leaned many things about infants.Most people do not know that Early Childhood starts at birth. We learn how babies develop and how to support their development. As Adrin has grown I have noticed that I understand his growth and development. My family members have asked me questions such as, "Is it normal that he is experiencing separation anxiety at this age?" It feels good to be able to answer their questions and be able to explain my reasoning. I have taught everyone in my family how important it is to read to your child, even at birth. I have bought him many books and he loves to sit and listen to me read them to him. His next year is going to be very busy. He has taken eight steps but then he quits and decides to crawl. He has said a few words but his vocabulary is going to expand so much in the next year. I have learned in my classes how to support his vocabulary development and some techniques to get him talking faster. Adrin's party was great, he got lots of presents and had so much fun. I can't wait to see how much he learns and develops in the next year!

Well, it's now officially summer and school is out! I had a few weeks to rest and relax until the kids that I am watching got out of school. For the rest of the summer I am babysitting two girls, one is 4 and the other is 6. Their parents need me to be there from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. After the first week I was tired from chasing the kids around. We have gone to the neighborhood pool three times already. I have a feeling I'm going to get tired of the pool real fast. Their mother asked me if I minded working with the girls on reading, writing, and some math. I went home Tuesday night and went through all of my materials from my literacy class and EDMA class. For the rest of the week, I worked with the girls for one hour a day. It was pretty cool to demonstrate what I have learned in my classes with the children that I watch. In Fundamentals, I was taught to give the children choices as much as I could. Though it is hard sometimes, I try to give the children choices in everything that we do. I'm glad I have the opportunity to try out theories and other things that I have learned with the children. I can now see the hundreds of hours that I have spent in class finally paying off!