Jan. 20: I’ve recently re-introduced a quiet time (dubbed siesta time) into our afternoon. Andrew stopped napping at least six months ago, but there are times when he could clearly use a rest. A book I recently read (Sleepless in America: Practical Strategies to Help Your Family Get the Sleep it Deserves by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka) talks about the importance of an afternoon quiet time for kids (and adults!). So for the last week Andrew has had 45 minutes to an hour in the early afternoon when he needs to play by himself. So far he hasn’t slept, but I get some down(ish) time and he is practicing playing independently…a skill he doesn’t like to exercise often.
Today we made a list titled “Andrew’s Playtime” It included play-doh, markers, books, puzzles, animals, and sleep. he was really happy to help me make the list. And I’m happy to take a moment to decompress on the computer before the afternoon cranks up again.
In the last couple minutes, Andrew has brought me two playdoh creations. The first worm-shaped item was announced to me (in a whisper) to be “a velvet monitor…no bigger than my finger.” The secondworm-shaped item was “an echidna bone.” He asked if I could watch it while he went away to see if it “comes alive.”
What a kid!