Learning to play together

I guess it is a part of growing up. Learning to socialize, to share, to play together. Even as i see Eliza's 4 & 6yr old cousins play, they're still learning! A lot of times we have to mediate between them and guide them to play without ending up in a fight or a load of complains.

I wonder if it's some of Eliza's experience with other kids who are younger than her, that she was very protective over the things she plays, or it's a developmental phase. She doesn't like to hang around younger kids or sometimes kids her age, as if she's wary that they will take the toys she's playing. Then she'll get very upset about the whole situation.
Or she'll take what a younger kid is playing and a whole tense situation will ensue as we'll be disapproving of her actions and get her to return the toy which she'll throw it or hold on even tighter.

Most of the time it ends in tears.

Now, what helps is to prepare her for the possible situation when some sharing while playing together is required. We help her to understand that she can say no to another kid who wants to take her toy or she can give the toy. And when she wants another kid's toy, to wait for her turn, to ask or to find another better toy, or to play together (a concept which i think will take a while to master).

It's not that she doesn't play nice...she'll generously pass a toy to another kid when encouraged to and when the kid isn't being mean or threatening to her. I've seen her wait really patiently for a little boy to finish playing the train tracks. The boy was playing forever...and when his parents tried once to distract him away he almost broke down. But Eliza continued to wait...she told herself, "wait for train". I think the parents was paishe that she was waiting so long that they eventually carried their son away from the toy to something else, not without protests from the little boy.

With some practice, with some guidance, with some wisdom, may God grow her to be a good friend, a kind and loving one.

Updating

Zoo Trip
We made 2 zoo trips this june holidays. One with a group of cell bro&sis (not our cell though but we join them in their outings from time to time), and another with Ww's school teachers for their recce for a school programme.

It's always fun to visit the zoo and see all the animals...i taught Eliza the song "we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo" and the next day she's pestering me to bring her there again and pestering me to sing it to her to sleep. If it wasn't so far and expensive, i would be one of our regular weekend outings. ha!

Marriott Hotel stay

We thought we'll try staying at Marriott Hotel instead of Ritz Carlton this time round (using the Marriot rewards points). And had fun time mostly at the pool. We figured since we're STILL in singapore, we might as well make full use of the facilities, in the room and at the pool side so it's pool play as much as we can.

The wonderful thing about the pool is that the shallow pool part is quite a large portion and Eliza had great fun exploring, playing, "swimming".

We had my in-laws pop by before going for dinner together. I guess kids bring out the fun in grandparents eh?


After dinner we found that the chambermaids have so thoughtfully put the Marriott tiger beside Elmo on the bed, with Elmo's arm around the tiger too!

Eliza declared that the tiger's Elmo's friend :)

Eliza & painting
Almost a weekly or fortnightly activity we do on my weekends. We have progressed from just hand painting (or you can call it hand smearing), to using the paint brush, to painting the paint palette (or plate), to sponging (i only used one sponge and have yet to find a cheap nice sponge to cut shapes), to using the cookie cutter that i got for playdough-play to do stamping. see even i evolve during painting class...

She has also started to draw 'smiley' mouths to paint out a happy face.
Painting is a way to learn how to use the tools more than drawing real stuffs. I have been trying to teach her to hold the paintbrush properly (same goes for all other crayons and pens). She's also getting better at the "hand-printing". Now i see the handprint!

Eliza & Drawing
Eliza will ask us to draw things or we'll just spin out whatever doodles.
Here is daddy's drawing of Eliza driving a car...and Eliza wanted him to draw mummy, daddy, ah-ma, ah-gong.

So now you know why the people behind are so small

New stage of socialization

Just so i don't forget....from the time Eliza was aware of the people around her, not much people are lucky enough to carry her, or at least without her protesting violently. I kinda accepted that and didn't try to force her away. So if she takes to anyone carrying her, that's good; if she doesn't that so be it.
Recently after a visit to a friend's house, Eliza let my friend's hubby carry her...willingly. We told them, they must be really lucky. And then from CNY onwards, she was friendlier to people than she used to before. Nowadays, if you request to carry her, she would generally oblige.

This somehow just shows that on some things, kids just have their timing, as in when they are ready, they will be. Still it's not that easy to determine which are things that we let them naturally be ready to do stuff and which are the things we decide that they should do so. Take potty training, they will learn it when they are ready, yet if we don't provide the environment, will they learn it?

How about reading? I read stuff where people say that the right age is 6yrs, that we shouldn't rush them into it, that we should let their interest help them and not force them when they aren't ready. I've also ready stuff where many others say that the earlier the better. I like the earlier the better, but i guess 2.5yrs isn't the age they are ready anyway. I'm also starting to teach Eliza to listen to me finish reading the page, before flipping the page. We have enjoyed lots of spontaneity while reading. Nowadays, with familiar books, she tells me not to read them while she's readying -_-'