Jonathan is going through a hard time; he is after all 4.5 and has a new baby sister! This is the reason why he is stretching the limits of his parents’ nerves! His ability to resist what he is being told to do is becoming more elaborated as he gets older and his speech abilities improve, the results can be surprising. Despite the rather stressed situation we are all in, getting used to the expansion of our family, there is always room for sweet gestures and a little love.
Jonathan is probably very good with numbers, the psychologist who works in his kindergarten (standard service in Israel) says he is very smart, even a bit higher than average for his age, and he shows a string affinity to numbers. I always knew he likes numbers, he likes to count, shows and recognizes the digits, wants to know what number is each house we pass in the street is etc.
Recently, however, he is showing a more abstract understanding of amounts. We were watching the television together, when a commercial for children cereal was running. This particular advert was for a chocolate flavor type. The over sweet breakfast is presented as full of vitamins and tasty health for kids, offering simplicity and relaxation for parents. Jonathan, who loves TV commercials and loves the colorful products shown in them even more, was immediately enthusiastic and he pointed at the cereal and screams “I love this!” in delight. I took the role of educational mom and explained to him that this cereal contains way too much sugar and chocolate, thus unhealthy. The boy’s simple solution to my plight was stated directly, “then all we need to do is serve just a bit” said he. One must agree that smaller portions do indeed reduce the amount of sugars, no?
Jonathan decided to bring me a gift. He found a pink business card in the street with lovely red lips graphics on it. He picked it up and told his father that he is bringing mommy a kiss! Once he got home, he delivered the card to me with delight and prided himself on bringing me a kiss that he found for me a sweet gesture indeed, my heart melted accordingly. What made it more memorable is that the card contained an advert for escorting services…thank G_d the boy still does not read…and the graphics was really lovely, the card was well designed, and I am keeping it, so I can show it to Jonathan and tell him the story when he is older and more understanding of the world.
Jonathan just does not want to do anything he should do! He does not want to get up in the morning (understandable, its so warm in the bed covers…) He does not want to get dressed, brush his teeth, go to kindergarten…and in the evening it’s the same for taking a bath or even going out to the garden. Anything that interferes with his know discovery of the computer (cool games and you can also watch children’s videos…) is rejected! Jonathan’s parents are being bothersome and order him around – after all one must take care of daily rituals like eating and hygiene, and so the computer must wait…
The result of the fact that I must compete with the computer for Jonathan’s attention is that he screams and wails every time I ask him to do things. He drags himself on the floor and complains of pains in his stomach. Then he says he cannot stand. To add some effect to his performance he begins to make choking sounds and sticks his tongue out. Recently he added a medical impossibility to his arsenal – he complains that his legs are broken and his head is broken, then he forgets himself and minute later he is standing up, happy as can be…I told him I had no idea one can walk on broken legs, and with a broken head. The negotiations between us have a few varieties; one of his methods is to let me know that I should do whatever it is he should be doing (you pick up the toys mommy, you bring the clothes, you turn off the TV), this tactic usually results in my declaration that we should do it together, and then he will maybe put away two toys and I will parallel be stowing an entire drawer full...
Another version is an exchange – if he picks up the toys he can then have a chocolate. Recently my demand from his is that he simply behaves himself for his bonuses. The screams and ranting is getting worse. Although we have a start table for good behavior like all the trainers and super nannies say we must have, it is not always as effective as a bribe in the shape of a chocolate. Like I said, the boy has an improving understanding of numbers, calculating his chances for earning a chocolate bar in exchange for not over stretching my nerves, is becoming a refined skill.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Sick together
I have a nasty cold and its the second time in less than two months. Jonathan has cold too, but somehow he remains agile, while I can hardly stand... the only excuse I have is that by now I am nine months pregnant.
Jonathan's mommy is sick with a nasty cold. The first result of my staying home I that Jonathan comes in late to kindergarten. Without my getting up and pushing things, the boy can sleep the morning though! (except on Fridays and Saturdays – the only days that I am not working and hence can sleep late. Jonathan needs t be pulled out of bed the entire working week, but on Friday and Saturday he gets up at 7.00! and for us – and him – that is just too early...). We are not a family of morning people and in winter time we all have an even harder time getting out of the warm covers. Still my husband and son beat me cold in this contest and I am always the first one to get up – except now I am sick, so I just do not.
The second result is that Jonathan, at 4 years of age, is showing true concern for my well being. He came into my room this morning and insisted that I share his chocolate pudding breakfast. He also said he wants to cuddle with me and that we are sick together! This is not the first time he is showing such concern. When he first registered that |I am pregnant and will have to give birth in the hospital (that is how things are done in Israel...) he asked me more than one time on the phone if mommy needs to go to hospital now. Now that the birth is getting near, I am preparing him once more for the fact that I must go away to give birth, but so far he has not demonstrated the same concern but is rather interested in the baby I will bring home with me when I return.
The third result of my staying home sick is that Jonathan wants to stay home to. He maintains that he is truly sick too and has pain in his stomach (a standard complaint of the average Israeli child who want to duck duties...). He groans and hold his stomach as he repeats the complaint and then he coughs for more effect. It is amazing how early they learn these little manipulations, its just a shame for Jonathan that I read right through him and he is obliged to go to kindergarten just the same.
The fourth result on my being sick and croaking like a toad is that I now definitely know that my son has a sense of humor. He joined me in my room this morning for the ritual morning cuddle and then began to “croak” himself. With a squeaky voice he announced that “I am speaking like a worm” imitating my hoarse voice. We both has a good laugh – turns out laughing is really good for you and it opens a blocked nose... who knew...
Jonathan's mommy is sick with a nasty cold. The first result of my staying home I that Jonathan comes in late to kindergarten. Without my getting up and pushing things, the boy can sleep the morning though! (except on Fridays and Saturdays – the only days that I am not working and hence can sleep late. Jonathan needs t be pulled out of bed the entire working week, but on Friday and Saturday he gets up at 7.00! and for us – and him – that is just too early...). We are not a family of morning people and in winter time we all have an even harder time getting out of the warm covers. Still my husband and son beat me cold in this contest and I am always the first one to get up – except now I am sick, so I just do not.
The second result is that Jonathan, at 4 years of age, is showing true concern for my well being. He came into my room this morning and insisted that I share his chocolate pudding breakfast. He also said he wants to cuddle with me and that we are sick together! This is not the first time he is showing such concern. When he first registered that |I am pregnant and will have to give birth in the hospital (that is how things are done in Israel...) he asked me more than one time on the phone if mommy needs to go to hospital now. Now that the birth is getting near, I am preparing him once more for the fact that I must go away to give birth, but so far he has not demonstrated the same concern but is rather interested in the baby I will bring home with me when I return.
The third result of my staying home sick is that Jonathan wants to stay home to. He maintains that he is truly sick too and has pain in his stomach (a standard complaint of the average Israeli child who want to duck duties...). He groans and hold his stomach as he repeats the complaint and then he coughs for more effect. It is amazing how early they learn these little manipulations, its just a shame for Jonathan that I read right through him and he is obliged to go to kindergarten just the same.
The fourth result on my being sick and croaking like a toad is that I now definitely know that my son has a sense of humor. He joined me in my room this morning for the ritual morning cuddle and then began to “croak” himself. With a squeaky voice he announced that “I am speaking like a worm” imitating my hoarse voice. We both has a good laugh – turns out laughing is really good for you and it opens a blocked nose... who knew...
Eating complexes and sharing
Like any 4 year old, Jonathan is getting more and more picky about his food. If he were not growing and vital we would actually be concerned, but turns out you can really live on chocolate... sharing his food and other possessions is another format of avoiding having to eat it all himself.
We are now in the phase in which we try, rather unsuccessfully, to give Jonathan good eating principles that will hopefully sustain him as a healthy human being for the rest of his life. Parallel to his learning all about different foods and their components in kindergarten (yes! They learn about Carbohydrates and Proteins, vegetables, fruit, meat, and water...the whole nutrition pyramid is displayed on the kindergarten calls wall) we try to make him see the difference between food and desert. By now he has learned the mantra and he chants just like mommy “first we eat food and then desert”. He just interprets this mantra differently. While I refer to it in every meal, as far and Jonathan is concerned, it counts for the entire day. Thus, to his logic, if he ate his chicken and pasta in Kindergarten for lunch, then it time for chocolate in the evening at home – after all lunch comes before supper and he ate food for lunch, so supper can consist of desert! I thus get a full report of what he has eaten all day (he spends 8 hours a say in day care) and then expects to receive his due desert.
We have lively discussions what is considered food and what desert. For Jonathan chocolate pudding with cream that comes in a plastic cup form the supermarket is a yogurt, and so it belongs to the category of food, as does a chocolate spread sandwich and various fruit. In fact the only form of chocolate he accepts as desert in chocolate tablets. He also differs between a snack (waffle, potato chips, chocolate bar etc.) and desert. Snacks are in fact food for him. In every management training session I have been through, the coach hammers into our brains that listening is not only hearing but interpreting the words. What people interpret is what they understand and how they conceive the world around them – so the professional say. I say, kids are the best business coaches! They do indeed conceive the world in their own light and are ruthless to compromise about such conceptions. They run a hard bargain and negotiate their position in the household anew every minute of the day. Being a parent is a continuous exercise in crisis management.
Food is a great theme with Jonathan. Like a good Israeli he knows by now that life is all about food. Jewish holidays are celebrated according to the rule “they tried to kill us, they failed, lets eat!” Jonathan knows that when you have guests you are supposed to feed them!. In preparation for his birthday party (family was invited) he set out plates and cups in advance and would have poured out juice and distributed cookies to every guest that had not yet arrived if I had not stopped him. It was truly hard to convince him to wait until the guests were actually present to enjoy his treats.
Whenever he talks about inviting a friend over, he also talks about the treats he will distribute among his guests and sometimes he starts to put out plates and cups “for the children” who are to come sometime in the near future.
His tendency to feed people does not however remain only as a fantasy. Whenever my parents come to visit, Jonathan immediately invites them to partake in his most favorite drink – peach syrup with water. He runs to the kitchen to get cups and the syrup and is ready to oblige his guests on a moment's notice. It is entirely irrelevant to him that my father is not permitted to drink the stuff and that my mother does not really like it. He reasons that “it is very sweet” and therefore very tasty, so all must try it. Any visitors are happily “adopted” and fed. He offers friends of his father his favorite chocolate pudding and insists on sharing his pancakes with present guests.
His food sharing is not limited however to friends and visitors only. He also expressed his concern for the baby (I am pregnant) recently by forcing me to eat a cookie. My protests were in vain! Jonathan reasoned that the baby needs to eat the cookie, not mommy, and so I was left with no choice but to eat it, as Jonathan was also literally shoving it down my throat and refusing to take no for an answer.
Jonathan does not only wan to to share his food. He wants to give gifts to all. He has written “letters” for the children in his kindergarten (scribbling letter like shapes onto a paper, folding it and then covering ti with sticky tape so the “letter” does not open up), he gives away DVD's to visitors and insists on giving away little toys and trinkets. He does not however seem to understand that once he has given something as a gift it no longer returns to his possession. My efforts to explain this included hiding some DVD's he allegedly gave away, but even this did not help. As long as the DVD was not in its usual place, Jonathan simply was not looking for it (absence makes the heart forgetful...)
Jonathan also likes to share his bath, especially with mommy. He has recently argued that the baby likes the water and that is why mommy should climb into the bath tub with him. Declaring to me that he remembers that the net is not to be taken out, so that mommy's hair will not go into the sewage and block it, was used to further tempt me to accept his invitation to hare his bath. Spurs of kindness and concern for the well being of others are demonstrated also on other occasions. He can lecture to my friends when we meet them at the mall that its is really nice to come by to his home and play with his toys there, and that they really should come by. He can give a sermon about the fact that orange juice is healthy for you and he also covered his grandma with a warm blanket when she dosed off on the sofa in the TV room, while trying to provide Jonathan with some company while mommy was trying to rest.
Jonathan is really big on company! He does not like being alone in various rooms in the house and would have me ideally follow him around all day. He likes it when people come to visit and has no problem sharing toys and food with visiting adults. With children its more difficult, then he gets more possessive. While he loves to invite friends or to visit them, in practice they still play next to each other rather than with each other. He grumbles and whines when they touch his toys and does not like to take turns even though he knows he must. Then out of the blue he goes back to sharing mode – bringing treats to the visiting child and his parents, giving them all his “letter” gifts, crying when they say its time to leave and go home and not calming down even when they promise to come again soon. One TV show later and the scene is but forgotten. Absence does make the heart forgetful and TV is indeed the modern babysitter and child calming mechanism of our times!
We are now in the phase in which we try, rather unsuccessfully, to give Jonathan good eating principles that will hopefully sustain him as a healthy human being for the rest of his life. Parallel to his learning all about different foods and their components in kindergarten (yes! They learn about Carbohydrates and Proteins, vegetables, fruit, meat, and water...the whole nutrition pyramid is displayed on the kindergarten calls wall) we try to make him see the difference between food and desert. By now he has learned the mantra and he chants just like mommy “first we eat food and then desert”. He just interprets this mantra differently. While I refer to it in every meal, as far and Jonathan is concerned, it counts for the entire day. Thus, to his logic, if he ate his chicken and pasta in Kindergarten for lunch, then it time for chocolate in the evening at home – after all lunch comes before supper and he ate food for lunch, so supper can consist of desert! I thus get a full report of what he has eaten all day (he spends 8 hours a say in day care) and then expects to receive his due desert.
We have lively discussions what is considered food and what desert. For Jonathan chocolate pudding with cream that comes in a plastic cup form the supermarket is a yogurt, and so it belongs to the category of food, as does a chocolate spread sandwich and various fruit. In fact the only form of chocolate he accepts as desert in chocolate tablets. He also differs between a snack (waffle, potato chips, chocolate bar etc.) and desert. Snacks are in fact food for him. In every management training session I have been through, the coach hammers into our brains that listening is not only hearing but interpreting the words. What people interpret is what they understand and how they conceive the world around them – so the professional say. I say, kids are the best business coaches! They do indeed conceive the world in their own light and are ruthless to compromise about such conceptions. They run a hard bargain and negotiate their position in the household anew every minute of the day. Being a parent is a continuous exercise in crisis management.
Food is a great theme with Jonathan. Like a good Israeli he knows by now that life is all about food. Jewish holidays are celebrated according to the rule “they tried to kill us, they failed, lets eat!” Jonathan knows that when you have guests you are supposed to feed them!. In preparation for his birthday party (family was invited) he set out plates and cups in advance and would have poured out juice and distributed cookies to every guest that had not yet arrived if I had not stopped him. It was truly hard to convince him to wait until the guests were actually present to enjoy his treats.
Whenever he talks about inviting a friend over, he also talks about the treats he will distribute among his guests and sometimes he starts to put out plates and cups “for the children” who are to come sometime in the near future.
His tendency to feed people does not however remain only as a fantasy. Whenever my parents come to visit, Jonathan immediately invites them to partake in his most favorite drink – peach syrup with water. He runs to the kitchen to get cups and the syrup and is ready to oblige his guests on a moment's notice. It is entirely irrelevant to him that my father is not permitted to drink the stuff and that my mother does not really like it. He reasons that “it is very sweet” and therefore very tasty, so all must try it. Any visitors are happily “adopted” and fed. He offers friends of his father his favorite chocolate pudding and insists on sharing his pancakes with present guests.
His food sharing is not limited however to friends and visitors only. He also expressed his concern for the baby (I am pregnant) recently by forcing me to eat a cookie. My protests were in vain! Jonathan reasoned that the baby needs to eat the cookie, not mommy, and so I was left with no choice but to eat it, as Jonathan was also literally shoving it down my throat and refusing to take no for an answer.
Jonathan does not only wan to to share his food. He wants to give gifts to all. He has written “letters” for the children in his kindergarten (scribbling letter like shapes onto a paper, folding it and then covering ti with sticky tape so the “letter” does not open up), he gives away DVD's to visitors and insists on giving away little toys and trinkets. He does not however seem to understand that once he has given something as a gift it no longer returns to his possession. My efforts to explain this included hiding some DVD's he allegedly gave away, but even this did not help. As long as the DVD was not in its usual place, Jonathan simply was not looking for it (absence makes the heart forgetful...)
Jonathan also likes to share his bath, especially with mommy. He has recently argued that the baby likes the water and that is why mommy should climb into the bath tub with him. Declaring to me that he remembers that the net is not to be taken out, so that mommy's hair will not go into the sewage and block it, was used to further tempt me to accept his invitation to hare his bath. Spurs of kindness and concern for the well being of others are demonstrated also on other occasions. He can lecture to my friends when we meet them at the mall that its is really nice to come by to his home and play with his toys there, and that they really should come by. He can give a sermon about the fact that orange juice is healthy for you and he also covered his grandma with a warm blanket when she dosed off on the sofa in the TV room, while trying to provide Jonathan with some company while mommy was trying to rest.
Jonathan is really big on company! He does not like being alone in various rooms in the house and would have me ideally follow him around all day. He likes it when people come to visit and has no problem sharing toys and food with visiting adults. With children its more difficult, then he gets more possessive. While he loves to invite friends or to visit them, in practice they still play next to each other rather than with each other. He grumbles and whines when they touch his toys and does not like to take turns even though he knows he must. Then out of the blue he goes back to sharing mode – bringing treats to the visiting child and his parents, giving them all his “letter” gifts, crying when they say its time to leave and go home and not calming down even when they promise to come again soon. One TV show later and the scene is but forgotten. Absence does make the heart forgetful and TV is indeed the modern babysitter and child calming mechanism of our times!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Pearls of Logic
Jonathan is getting older and also improving in language skills. The combination can sometimes be lethal, as it can cause me fits of laughter that are quire uncontrolled = those are caused by a brilliant , yet childish connection which he expresses, which can spur in me fits of pure delight. Here are a few examples.
When told that mommy will go swimming and daddy will take him to kindergarten, he simply answered :mommy should stay with Jonathan and daddy should go swimming”. That he requested that I remain is rather expected, but the pearl here is the complete solution – if daddy goes swimming, then all is well...
When I was cleaning and he was board, Jonathan protested against my tidiness in the following words:
“your are always cleaning and that is not interesting for me...”
I study once a week and hence return home late on the days of the course, after Jonathan is already asleep. This week I called my husband to talk with to him and to Jonathan before he goes to bed (I know its a lame effort to compensate the boy for my absence, but I cannot help it...). Jonathan asked me on the phone where I was and to simplify matters, I answered “mommy is still at work”. The boy immediately protested that it was dark outside (which is true) and thus my workplace should be closed! Its simple logic, I always show him that when night falls, stores close. Thus he assumed that my workplace should also be closed.
When I explained that despite the hour, I must work a bit more, he tried another tactic, he protested that I was sick with a stomach ache and that it is “heavy for me” (he mixes heavy and difficult at times because in German its the same word – he makes this mistake even in Hebrew – the two languages get confused in his thoughts and he expresses himself in mixed sentences at times). Thus he believed, I need to come home and rest. To understand this second pearl of wisdom, one must understand that at the time of this occurring I am eight months pregnant, with a rather large belly and that to add to this, I am also suffering under a nasty cold. Thus Jonathan has recently heard that I am tired, that my belly is heavy and that it is difficult for me to read him a bedtime story because of the fact that I can hardly speak in between nasty coughs (in the last few was I was obliged to limit the story reading to one book instead of the usual two). The boy simply combined all my complaints into a mix of symptoms that mean one thing – mommy should come home to Jonathan right now! And not in the middle of the night. I found it very flattering, I must admit. He then told me on the phone that he loves me, and I told him I love him too and that I miss him. Longer telephone conversations (that also make some sense) are a new recent development with Jonathan. I am enjoying this immensely!
After an evening in which I was obliged to stay longer at work, Jonathan protested that I am always at work and that I should both take him to and from kindergarten. It is obvious that he misses me. To be truthful, he does see more of my husband, who picks him from kindergarten and thus spends on average 1.5 hours more a day with the boy. As he has repeated the request that I pick him up from kindergarten often in recent weeks, I make an effort to do so at least once a week. Yesterday therefore, I picked him up from kindergarten, together with my husband. He then spent some time just repeatedly hugging me and telling me he is happy I picked him up and that I should do so every day (take him to and pick him from kindergarten). My heart simply melted! The guilt spurred in me! But I have no choice. I have to work full time as I am the main provider in this outfit. I can only hope that Jonathan will understand that when he is older...I did however try to think positive and simply enjoy the hugging and to give him my full attention when I am with him – quality and not quantity is the only motto I have left.
When told that mommy will go swimming and daddy will take him to kindergarten, he simply answered :mommy should stay with Jonathan and daddy should go swimming”. That he requested that I remain is rather expected, but the pearl here is the complete solution – if daddy goes swimming, then all is well...
When I was cleaning and he was board, Jonathan protested against my tidiness in the following words:
“your are always cleaning and that is not interesting for me...”
I study once a week and hence return home late on the days of the course, after Jonathan is already asleep. This week I called my husband to talk with to him and to Jonathan before he goes to bed (I know its a lame effort to compensate the boy for my absence, but I cannot help it...). Jonathan asked me on the phone where I was and to simplify matters, I answered “mommy is still at work”. The boy immediately protested that it was dark outside (which is true) and thus my workplace should be closed! Its simple logic, I always show him that when night falls, stores close. Thus he assumed that my workplace should also be closed.
When I explained that despite the hour, I must work a bit more, he tried another tactic, he protested that I was sick with a stomach ache and that it is “heavy for me” (he mixes heavy and difficult at times because in German its the same word – he makes this mistake even in Hebrew – the two languages get confused in his thoughts and he expresses himself in mixed sentences at times). Thus he believed, I need to come home and rest. To understand this second pearl of wisdom, one must understand that at the time of this occurring I am eight months pregnant, with a rather large belly and that to add to this, I am also suffering under a nasty cold. Thus Jonathan has recently heard that I am tired, that my belly is heavy and that it is difficult for me to read him a bedtime story because of the fact that I can hardly speak in between nasty coughs (in the last few was I was obliged to limit the story reading to one book instead of the usual two). The boy simply combined all my complaints into a mix of symptoms that mean one thing – mommy should come home to Jonathan right now! And not in the middle of the night. I found it very flattering, I must admit. He then told me on the phone that he loves me, and I told him I love him too and that I miss him. Longer telephone conversations (that also make some sense) are a new recent development with Jonathan. I am enjoying this immensely!
After an evening in which I was obliged to stay longer at work, Jonathan protested that I am always at work and that I should both take him to and from kindergarten. It is obvious that he misses me. To be truthful, he does see more of my husband, who picks him from kindergarten and thus spends on average 1.5 hours more a day with the boy. As he has repeated the request that I pick him up from kindergarten often in recent weeks, I make an effort to do so at least once a week. Yesterday therefore, I picked him up from kindergarten, together with my husband. He then spent some time just repeatedly hugging me and telling me he is happy I picked him up and that I should do so every day (take him to and pick him from kindergarten). My heart simply melted! The guilt spurred in me! But I have no choice. I have to work full time as I am the main provider in this outfit. I can only hope that Jonathan will understand that when he is older...I did however try to think positive and simply enjoy the hugging and to give him my full attention when I am with him – quality and not quantity is the only motto I have left.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Invention, Imagination and Humour
Creative and abstract thinking is presenting itself in Jonathan's humour and advancement in language skills. He now takes action to creating funny situations for his amusement and is also able to create sentences and to express himself pretty well. With these skills comes also that of invention and creating new games and even invent new words. The Experts say it is typical for his age, so I can relax and enjoy the phenomenon.
Putting his shoes on upside down and laughing at himself is a sign of humour Jonathan seams to enjoy repeatedly. Pretend games like mixing salt and sugar in a cake, serving it to mommy and watching me spit it out (all pretend of source) also sends him into fits of giggles. He gets disappointed if I do not “spit” out the food (and I do not if he gets it right-like salt on salad), thus he immediately adds it the wrong ingredient to achieve the desired affect, and then laughs his head off!
Being allowed to be the assistant magician in an activity in kindergarten, also brought the bet out of the boy and the kindergarten teacher said she had never experienced Jonathan so full of laughter, as he was turned into a rabbit and other such imagination magic. Drawing abstract scribes and explaining them is also typical of recent. The interesting thing is that the scribbles of certain things are similar to previous scribbles of the same object. The connection to reality is loose but if I search for it, I can see it ( a shopping mall is a series of lines, loosely resembling the windows rows of a large building). Commentating his drawing live is the latest addition to the beloved activity. Showing me the drawing and even giving to me as a gift is usually the finishing touch, as the boy fished for compliments.
As Jonathan is exposed to two languages, he has an interesting mix of both. He uses both languages in once sentence and there a certain things and activities that are always names in one of the languages. A trip to Germany to visit my husband's family this summer has only strengthened the confusion. Aside from creating new verb forms in Hebrew, Jonathan has enlarged his vocabulary in German considerably and has even invented a new term. The trip exposed Jonathan's special liking of the vending machines, and using them received a special word “Ein Knopfen” . Ein is like “a” in German and is a prefix typical for many nouns. Knopfen is the verb form of the noun Knopf, which means button, its just that the verb Knopfen is non existent in German. But the vending machines have many a button to press... thus Jonathan has formulated a term that clearly relates to the beloved activity of buying a coke or snack in the machines.
Putting his shoes on upside down and laughing at himself is a sign of humour Jonathan seams to enjoy repeatedly. Pretend games like mixing salt and sugar in a cake, serving it to mommy and watching me spit it out (all pretend of source) also sends him into fits of giggles. He gets disappointed if I do not “spit” out the food (and I do not if he gets it right-like salt on salad), thus he immediately adds it the wrong ingredient to achieve the desired affect, and then laughs his head off!
Being allowed to be the assistant magician in an activity in kindergarten, also brought the bet out of the boy and the kindergarten teacher said she had never experienced Jonathan so full of laughter, as he was turned into a rabbit and other such imagination magic. Drawing abstract scribes and explaining them is also typical of recent. The interesting thing is that the scribbles of certain things are similar to previous scribbles of the same object. The connection to reality is loose but if I search for it, I can see it ( a shopping mall is a series of lines, loosely resembling the windows rows of a large building). Commentating his drawing live is the latest addition to the beloved activity. Showing me the drawing and even giving to me as a gift is usually the finishing touch, as the boy fished for compliments.
As Jonathan is exposed to two languages, he has an interesting mix of both. He uses both languages in once sentence and there a certain things and activities that are always names in one of the languages. A trip to Germany to visit my husband's family this summer has only strengthened the confusion. Aside from creating new verb forms in Hebrew, Jonathan has enlarged his vocabulary in German considerably and has even invented a new term. The trip exposed Jonathan's special liking of the vending machines, and using them received a special word “Ein Knopfen” . Ein is like “a” in German and is a prefix typical for many nouns. Knopfen is the verb form of the noun Knopf, which means button, its just that the verb Knopfen is non existent in German. But the vending machines have many a button to press... thus Jonathan has formulated a term that clearly relates to the beloved activity of buying a coke or snack in the machines.
Explanation and Problem Solving
Jonathan likes to tell himself what is going on, like commentary to watching children TV or a DVD. He also scolds me if he thinks I confused something (mommy, its a turtle, not a frog – you got it wrong/you have confused it- I admit I do not always see things the way he does). Original thinking and problem solving expresses itself repeatedly , like his coping with a renovation in our apartment.
Watching a DVD with Jonathan is always fun because he delights so much in it. He also gives live commentary. When he was little, this commentary showed itself in an imitation of the actions in the DVD (like falling on the ground when the coyote gets crushed in the road runner cartoons – Jonathan's favourite DVD for interactive television (Jane Fonda like) sport). He also sings along with the DVD's.
Recently his commentary has taken a more advanced form – he either asks questions related to the ongoing story (Why does the mouse get the cat wet? Typical Tom and Jerry question) or he explains the action (the magic egg will now fall on his foot! Boom! Bang! And he is magical... a short summary of en episode of the Smurfs). Sometimes he even answers his own questions after posing them (the mouse likes to bother the cat – Tom and Jerry again) having heard the same explanation from me to those questions a few times, he simply remembers the answers.
Jonathan also likes to explain his surroundings. Thus he announced one day that his daddy was just too big to sit on mommy's lap and he might fall and bang his head “Boom! Bang!” The sounds were made in extra enthusiasm to make sure daddy understood the danger.
Jonathan is a boy that likes his home and feels good and secure in it. After a long weekend at his grandparents, he will wish to go to “my house”, and then he shows great relief when we get home. This feeling of safety was taken away one day, when we started packing away a large book shelf that dominates our living room while preparing for a small renovation (we painted the walls after about 7 years of residence and installed a new laminated flooring).
In emptying the shelves, we changed the look and feel or the room considerably and Jonathan's reaction was to ask us where had his house gone. He was looking for it also during the days of the renovation. And even after the renovation was finished, as the house now looked different (because of the new floor, the books were back in the shelves) he still looked for it a while, and at the same time admitting the new “surprise” apartment was nice. Each time we tidied up a room after it was painted and floored, he declared that “the room is back” and enjoyed it immensely. He also enjoyed helping me pack, by bringing me books from a pile to put into the boxes.
In the stacked up living room, he solved the problem of not having his usual table accessible for his dinner, by improvising an eating space by using a chair and covering it with his place mats. Taking out all the cushions of our sofa and building a house by placing them on the side like a wall is another typical pass time, the extra bonus to this house construction is that jumping on the sofa platform is really a lot of fun... It was also fun to use one of the empty cartons as a house to hide in for a few days after the renovation. Hiding in containers is a favourite activity and Jonathan uses every opportunity. Thus when we returned from a trip abroad, he curled himself into the empty suitcase when I left the room to put the dirty laundry in the bathroom. The only way for me to know where he was, was because of the fact that the suitcase was giggling when I returned to the bedroom.
Watching a DVD with Jonathan is always fun because he delights so much in it. He also gives live commentary. When he was little, this commentary showed itself in an imitation of the actions in the DVD (like falling on the ground when the coyote gets crushed in the road runner cartoons – Jonathan's favourite DVD for interactive television (Jane Fonda like) sport). He also sings along with the DVD's.
Recently his commentary has taken a more advanced form – he either asks questions related to the ongoing story (Why does the mouse get the cat wet? Typical Tom and Jerry question) or he explains the action (the magic egg will now fall on his foot! Boom! Bang! And he is magical... a short summary of en episode of the Smurfs). Sometimes he even answers his own questions after posing them (the mouse likes to bother the cat – Tom and Jerry again) having heard the same explanation from me to those questions a few times, he simply remembers the answers.
Jonathan also likes to explain his surroundings. Thus he announced one day that his daddy was just too big to sit on mommy's lap and he might fall and bang his head “Boom! Bang!” The sounds were made in extra enthusiasm to make sure daddy understood the danger.
Jonathan is a boy that likes his home and feels good and secure in it. After a long weekend at his grandparents, he will wish to go to “my house”, and then he shows great relief when we get home. This feeling of safety was taken away one day, when we started packing away a large book shelf that dominates our living room while preparing for a small renovation (we painted the walls after about 7 years of residence and installed a new laminated flooring).
In emptying the shelves, we changed the look and feel or the room considerably and Jonathan's reaction was to ask us where had his house gone. He was looking for it also during the days of the renovation. And even after the renovation was finished, as the house now looked different (because of the new floor, the books were back in the shelves) he still looked for it a while, and at the same time admitting the new “surprise” apartment was nice. Each time we tidied up a room after it was painted and floored, he declared that “the room is back” and enjoyed it immensely. He also enjoyed helping me pack, by bringing me books from a pile to put into the boxes.
In the stacked up living room, he solved the problem of not having his usual table accessible for his dinner, by improvising an eating space by using a chair and covering it with his place mats. Taking out all the cushions of our sofa and building a house by placing them on the side like a wall is another typical pass time, the extra bonus to this house construction is that jumping on the sofa platform is really a lot of fun... It was also fun to use one of the empty cartons as a house to hide in for a few days after the renovation. Hiding in containers is a favourite activity and Jonathan uses every opportunity. Thus when we returned from a trip abroad, he curled himself into the empty suitcase when I left the room to put the dirty laundry in the bathroom. The only way for me to know where he was, was because of the fact that the suitcase was giggling when I returned to the bedroom.
Bonuses and helping out.
Jonathan is showing an understanding of concepts. Like that of being a good boy and helping out. And of course the concept of reward. He is also an attentive child and likes to help out.
We were walking to kindergarten one morning and he explained to me that he is being a good boy, all grown up and well behaved. Thus he demanded a reward for his behaviour in the shape of a chocolate drink to be purchased across the street from the kindergarten.
As this habit started but a month before the summer holiday (and we are due to enter a new kindergarten) I saw no point in fighting him but rather a chance to strengthen his understanding of the reward. Thus he enjoyed many a chocolate drink bonuses in the following month, until the summer holiday. His latest reward was being taken to the zoo, after being a good boy and going to the new kindergarten without making trouble for two days straight - he even admitted having fun on the second day! I was very glad to hear it.
One afternoon as I was resting, my mother spent time with Jonathan in the TV room. She also was tires and so she decided to lay down next to the boy. Jonathan noticed it and brought her a blanket and covered her. He likes to help out and always asks if he can help. He always tries to help, thus trying to help me carry things (like our shopping bag from the supermarket, or a heavy box – then I have to tell him not to help...so he will not get hurt). Grabbing the broom and sweeping or the mop for washing the floor is typical. He likes to bring his own juice to the living room and even to prepare it himself. We try to encourage this helping and independence tendencies – but I must admit it is sometimes a trail to my patience as it can create a big mess (e.g. juice syrup all over the kitchen) or it forces me to have to wait until he gets things done, which could go a lot faster if I helped him out. I do my best to be patient. Jonathan usually asks for my assistance when he gives up working on a task alone. He wails his failure by complaining about his lack of success (mommy, I have not succeeded, is a typical wail/cry out for help).
We were walking to kindergarten one morning and he explained to me that he is being a good boy, all grown up and well behaved. Thus he demanded a reward for his behaviour in the shape of a chocolate drink to be purchased across the street from the kindergarten.
As this habit started but a month before the summer holiday (and we are due to enter a new kindergarten) I saw no point in fighting him but rather a chance to strengthen his understanding of the reward. Thus he enjoyed many a chocolate drink bonuses in the following month, until the summer holiday. His latest reward was being taken to the zoo, after being a good boy and going to the new kindergarten without making trouble for two days straight - he even admitted having fun on the second day! I was very glad to hear it.
One afternoon as I was resting, my mother spent time with Jonathan in the TV room. She also was tires and so she decided to lay down next to the boy. Jonathan noticed it and brought her a blanket and covered her. He likes to help out and always asks if he can help. He always tries to help, thus trying to help me carry things (like our shopping bag from the supermarket, or a heavy box – then I have to tell him not to help...so he will not get hurt). Grabbing the broom and sweeping or the mop for washing the floor is typical. He likes to bring his own juice to the living room and even to prepare it himself. We try to encourage this helping and independence tendencies – but I must admit it is sometimes a trail to my patience as it can create a big mess (e.g. juice syrup all over the kitchen) or it forces me to have to wait until he gets things done, which could go a lot faster if I helped him out. I do my best to be patient. Jonathan usually asks for my assistance when he gives up working on a task alone. He wails his failure by complaining about his lack of success (mommy, I have not succeeded, is a typical wail/cry out for help).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)