WEEBY HOMEWORK JAN/10

FROM MY BLOG:

One night in January 2010, I was working late and Wonko sent me a text saying that he was doing homework with Weeb (who had just turned 4 y/0). They don’t force homework at her preschool, but if she’s not completed her work in class, sometimes she’ll ask her teacher if she can take it home. This is what I found. She’s written all her numbers from 1 to 100. Pretty good for 4 years old, eh?

But what’s this? Ah, proof that she is indeed my child.

Some more homework. My just-turned-4-years-old-daughter is doing ‘greater than / less than’ math work in preschool. We're very fortunate that her daycare / preschool has such fantastic teachers who are making this kind of work fun for her.

She's also reading pretty darned well for a (now) four and a half year old! I worry that Kindergarten is going to be pretty boring for this kid and that she's going to invent all manner of chaos to relieve that boredom.

CHRISTMAS NIGHT LIGHTS

Dear Weeb,

We had to take the Christmas lights down from your window. We decided to hang them from the ceiling in your room to use them as a night light. You really like that idea. And you are bugging us to hang the glow in the dark planets that Grandma and Grandpa bought you for Christmas.

Please sleep in your bed all night again.

TANTRUMS

Dear Weeb,

You've slept in your bed (fell asleep and stayed asleep) for almost all of December. You've had a couple of nights where you've sneaked into Daddy's room in the middle of the night or cried for us because you had a bad dream, but other than that, you have been great!

Now you'll fall asleep in your room (often after great complaint) but sneak into Daddy's room nearly every night again. You say you're having nightmares. But if we ask what about, you are obviously trying to make something up.

I keep wondering if something is going on that is bothering you, but I think you're just back to needing to be close again. You've become very clingy since you headed back to school after Christmas vacation. Not so much in the mornings, but very much from the time we get home and to bed time.

And the whining! OMG you can whine lately! I've told you that when I come to pick you up today at school, if you great me with a whine or beg to stay longer and makes a scene in doing so, then we will NOT be having Slurpee night. You seem to understand. We'll see. I'm sticking to my guns.

Normally the rule is if you approach me calmly and rationally and make a request to stay longer at school to play (etc.), then you can, as long as we don't have anything else to do. I've been trying to teach you to tell time a bit at these moments by saying, "The big hand is on the 12 right now, and it will be time to go when the big hand is on the 2." That's been helpful, but you still have tantrums. Works better than your usual, "10 more minutes, Mummy?" You've got no concept of 10 minutes, so the clock has been working fairly well.

Last night we had a royal whining meltdown. We were playing a game (an old Winnie the Pooh game from my childhood) and you wanted to play one more time. I told you we could play one more time but that meant no stories when we went upstairs (it was nearly bedtime). You agreed. I made you explain our deal to Daddy, to make sure you REALLY understood. It was a great deal. Until we were upstairs and you wanted a story!

I wish I had more patience with you. Your dad is far better with you when you're whiny or having tantrums. You're lucky - he'll be a good buffer between us when you get older.