Day 2
If you haven’t read Day 1 yet, go check that out first.
How did the day go?
The day went similar to yesterday in terms of there were still times that I had to say “no” to some of my toddler’s reading requests throughout the day. My back was also bothering me some, but thank the Lord not anything like yesterday. I still succeeded in saying “yes” to my toddler’s reading requests a majority of the time. Even though I technically lost again, it was still a win in that we read another 12 books today.
What changes have I seen in my toddler with this challenge?
I wouldn’t think that after just a day or two trying this challenge I would notice many changes with my toddler, but I was wrong. The first change is I have definitely noticed that he is doing much better at reading on his own. He has always loved looking at books, but his attention span of just sitting by himself looking at books has increased noticeably. The second change is he started summarizing the stories or describing what’s going on the page before I start reading the book or even when he’s looking through the books by himself. It’s a skill he already had to some degree, but he has become more articulate and lengthy with his descriptions. The third thing I have noticed is he has been utilizing his Mickey Mouse Read to Me Books #Ad so much more. He used to use them, but never would sit down and make it through a whole book on his own without me sitting there with him keeping him focused. Now not only will he make it through the book, but he makes it through two or three books.
If you haven’t checked out Read to Me books before they are pretty neat. There are usually 8 themed books in the set and an electronic reader. The child presses the picture on the electronic reader that matches the cover of the book they want to read. Each page in the book is marked with a color/symbol. Then they push the button on the electronic reader that matches they color/symbol on the page they want to read, and the electronic reader reads it out loud to them. It also has sound effects and music with the reading to make it more engaging. Check out some of these options: #Ad
Disney! Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, and More!
The fourth and final change I have seen in my toddler is he started to use reading as a manipulation tool. If I couldn’t come play with him when he asked, he would then bring a book and ask to read it knowing I will give him one-on-one attention that way. It’s amazing how fast he picked up on that reading is what I was saying yes to most and used it to get the attention he wanted.
What have I learned so far?
This challenge is harder than I thought. I definitely thought if I had it planned out to do this challenge I would be able to be more present and not let the thoughts of all the to-do lists control me. I thought it would take away the mom guilt. It did some, but the truth is I still felt torn. I found today more difficult to say yes than yesterday, because I had my back issues yesterday I didn’t get as much housework done. So today when I was feeling better I felt even more “behind” and like I should be doing something else. I found my mind more distracted while reading books to my toddler. He would request to reread a book we just read and it would be like I was reading it for the first time, because my mind was so distracted thinking of things I needed to do and life that I didn’t even pay attention to what I was reading. It showed me that even though I was saying yes to my toddler’s reading requests I still wasn’t being present with him. Something to definitely keep working on for myself.
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