Mommy Teach Me:: Kid Friendly

Kid-Friendly Environment

A picture says
a thousand words.

Barbara sitting in a huge chair

Imagine living in a home where all the pictures were hanging three feet above your eye level, where kitchen counters were mysterious surfaces where you sensed exciting things were going on you could only guess at but never see.

Imagine having to climb onto a chair whose seat was 54" off the ground and feeling lost in the bigness, perched at the edge with your feet dangling in midair.

Imagine a world where those in power were 12 feet tall and bent down to talk to you - looking for all the world as though seen through a fish eye lens - and sometimes even pointing a finger in your face for emphasis.

That's the world our kids live in. Could that be part of their frustration? And understanding that, don't you want to make it more comfortable for them? As often as possible get down on their level to talk, or bring them up to yours.

	Kids' Table and Chairs Let's face it - we wouldn't want to sit at a five-foot tall table and chairs to do our work. Your children will love you for providing the right-sized furniture for them to do puzzles, coloring books, lacing cards, etc. Don't stick it in the bedroom, but wherever the center of activity is in your house so they can keep busy close to you - where they want to be.
	Step Stool I bought this stepstool a year ago to add to my collection :) It's everything a toddler needs to get up to the kitchen counter to see mom at work and want to join in - and that's the kind of helpful attitude you want, after all.
	Step Stool You probably already have a stool in the bathroom for your child. How about one in the kitchen? Then instead of thinking in terms of occupying him with a video or TV while you prepare meals, he can be entertained by watching his wonderful mommy at work. Get your children involved in food preparation and putting away dishes and setting the table as early as possible.
	Coat Hooks This is just an example - choose whatever fits your budget and decor. If you come across these at a garage sale or thrift store, snatch them up. Mount at kid level by front and back door and teach your child to take responsibility for putting on his jacket to go outside, then taking it off and hanging it up himself. Shoes or boots can be placed neatly below.
	Shelves Have at least one set of low shelves to hold your child's puzzles, manipulatives, and even the special Montessori-based exercises you can put together yourself with the help of my book Mommy, Teach Me!. Look for laminate so they can be wiped down. Some Scandinavian design stores offer nice white bookcases with just one or two shelves, but you can buy extra adjustable shelves to maximize your space.
	Laminator A splurge item that will pay for itself eventually - especially if you have more than one child. A laminating machine will enable you to laminate some of your child's learning materials - matching cards, for example - to give them a longer life. I also laminate pictures from National Geographic and display them like art or color code by continent, keeping an envelope for each continent - giving my children a visual sweep of what life is like in other lands.
	Reading Nook Chair This bean bag chair is just an example, but any kind of child-sized chair will do. As an encouragement to independent reading (even before your child can read the words), create a cozy reading nook with a small shelf for books, a comfortable chair (think what makes you comfortable for reading and then translate that to child-sized), a picture or two of people reading - Fragonard's Girl Reading, for example. Make sure the lighting is good - maybe near a sunny window?
	Six Van Gogh Cards Here's a start on getting those eye-level pictures for your child to enjoy (after all, he can't see what you hang at yours!). A nice idea is to put a picture of someone reading near your child's reading nook, a picture of the outdoors near her coat hooks. You can laminate or frame with inexpensive frames from Target. For more artists, search "art cards" at amazon. For larger pieces, visit posters.com.
	Frame Starter Kit Here's how cheap it is to get started on framing low-cost art for your child to enjoy at her eye-level. Twenty bucks for ten frames - you can hardly beat that! Target and WalMart are great sources for low cost frames. And what to frame? If you save greeting cards, rummage through for ready-to-frame-and-hang pictures, or search amazon.com for "art card."
	Mini Optical Mouse Because, let's face it: how would you feel if your mouse was twice as big as you hand? And this one doesn't have a rollerball to get clogged up with dirt.
	Just Like Mommy Vacuum From the time they're able to walk, kids want to do everything mommy does. My advice: grab that eagerness and run with it. My little ones have LOVED a vacuum like mommy's and pull it out whenever the big one is going - now usually under the steam of a big brother or sister. As soon as they are big enough to handle the weight (around 8), turn the big vacuum over to them. Never vacuum again!
	Cordless Vacuum My daughter Samantha, who has five children of her own, turned me on to this vacuum. I usually start my children vacuuming at 8 or so with our Oreck. But this vacuum makes it possible for even younger kids to get involved in cleaning - lightweight, no cords. Try it early - I guarantee you'll find your children are willing helpers!
	How Are You Feeling? A great resource for developing emotional intelligence in your kids. Kids do better when they have a label to put on their feelings: "Oh, are you angry about Susie sitting on your sandwich?" This poster helps them not take themselves so seriously. Also, if you go through the feelings - naming them and making the appropriate faces together in the mirror - it really can show children that they are to some extent in control of how they express their feelings.
	Kids Super Sudzer E-Z Grip Soap Sometimes it's the little things in life that really matter! Though I'm not one for frivolous new products, this was one that answered a definite need in a home with special needs children - and would be useful for any children during the period when they're learning to shower themselves. The gauzy wrap around each bar of soap helps little hands hold on so the soap doesn't keep falling to the floor. This has really helped my younger boys master the art of independent showering.
	Little Helper Broom Set Though some kids can handle an adult-size broom, this means that even your two-year-old can start learning to help - at just the time when he wants to!
	Everything Kids' Cookbook A fun cookbook with kid-friendly recipes for kid-friendly food.

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