Taking Time To Enjoy Your Little Person

In this frantic last week before Christmas, filled with episodes of "Yay, our Christmas shopping is done!"while removing boots, coats, toques and mitts of your thoroughly bundled little person, followed promptly with "Oh wait, did we get something for Cousin Bob?...no?...ugh...back to the stores we go", having only then to re-bundle your squirming, I've-had-enough-of-the-car/mall-for-a-lifetime, little person, it is crucial that we all take a moment to just be with our little people.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the I-want-to-host-dinner-this-year-but-we-always-do-it-at-my-place-exactly-that's-why-we-should-do-it-at-my-place-this-year-it's-only-fair family drama (or your version thereof) of this joyous season that we lose sight of the real heart and soul of Christmas. Religious or not, to me Christmas is about celebrating all the wonderful people in our lives and finding the perfect gift for each of them so that they will know how special they are to us. And what better gift to give your little person than your complete, undivided attention.

Here are a few things you can do with your little person, in between the Christmas rush, to give them that all-important, one-on-one attention:

One-on-One Activities
1. On the way back from one of your many shopping excursions, stop at the library and choose some books together. When you come home, make some hot chocolate, curl up together in your bean bag chairs and read a book together. Look for all the fun, tiny details in the pictures and get your little person to point out certain things when they hear them in the story.
2. Go to a Gymboree class or an indoor playground. Be with your little person and talk with them the whole time. Find something that they do that is impressive (not very hard as these little people are amazing!) and tell them how great they are getting at doing x, y or z.
3. When you unload the groceries enlist your little person's help. Get down to their level and give them small objects to put away. Talk to them about what they are putting away. Describe the textures, colours, shapes etc of the item. And be sure to thank your little person for their help.
4. Do an activity like pudding painting with your little person. (Put pre-made vanilla flavored pudding in several cups. Add food colouring to each cup. Lay out some wax paper in your art centre. Put your little person in their art smock and put dollops of the pudding paint on the paper. Let your artist dive in and paint with their hands). Get in there with them and explore the media together. Talk to your little person about the feel and the smell and the taste of the pudding. And don't worry about the mess - you can clean up later once you've both finished your creations.
5. At the mall, stop into a book store that had a kids section with your little person. Go to the train table or the princess castle or whatever they have laid out for the kids to play with and play with your little person. Get on their level and play with the toys too.
6. At the grocery store put your little one in the cart facing you. Chat with them about what you see in the store. Ask them questions about whatever it is that they like to talk about and really listen to their response. By the time you've finished your grocery shop you will have given your little person at least 30 minutes of undivided attention that will be cherished by both you and your little one.
7. Anything that involves being on the same level as your little on and being engaged in whatever activity they are doing. The little moments are really the most important ones.

Happy giving,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)