I love this picture of my son with his German Uncle and girlfriend. When Uncle Philipp came to visit from Germany, he brought this wooden tool set. I also love how they sat nearby watching and observing my son discover, explore and play with the wooden tool set. In general, the Germans, do not like or have commericial toys or electronic exposure. They are known for their wooden toys that promote creativity. Some of the gifts we have received from our German family have consisted of nesting blocks, books and more books, wooden hammer set, wooden stick horse, a bouncy Rody, wooden tool set, wooden bead maze, and a wooden matching game. All stimulating toys that help with creative & imaginative play.

This week, Lisa, Kindermusik by SoundSteps of Dallas, wrote a post about maximizing creative play. I love how Lisa says, “Children don’t need constant stimulation. They must take in information at their own pace to process it. Bombarding the brain and body with lights, sounds, or fast paced sequences has no benefit for a child. Open ended self-directed play teaches a child that he doesn’t have to be entertained to be occupied. The entertainment is discovery.” We wisemommies just love and highly support the ideas of Lisa and her methods for the development of the whole child. We feel very strongly in the concept of giving your child the opportunity for creative play.

The following are some more examples of child-led activities, which we have created, in our son’s room, to encourage imaginative/creative play:

1. puppets (also could be dolls)
2. legos
3. drawing boards
4. books
5. cooking utensils & play food
6. hats (we have hats reflecting other cultures as well as hats for different jobs such as a fireman, postal worker, astronaut, construction)
7. jigsaw puzzles
8. blocks, building bricks
9. 

From the *kkr blog, president and CEO of Reading is Fundamental, Carol H. Rasco, thanked all members of kappa kappa gamma for continued support of RIF and gave some reading tips. 

*Kappa Kappa Gamma’s national philanthropy is RIF, Reading is Fundamental, which serves under-served children and families through the development and delivery of literacy programs and campaigns that motivate youth to read regularly. The following are the top tips that Carol gave, which I love, for reading: 

5 Quick Tips for Reading

1) Read everyday for pleasure: Whether just one page from a book, a magazine, online report or an affirmation, you’ll experience so much joy from the welcomed escape of a pleasurable read

2) Let good books find you: If you aren’t sure where to start, ask for recommendations from friends. You can also check out a best sellers list to pick out a book.

3) Share a story: Carol says, “Read to a child in your life through a Kappa Kappa Gamma  “Reading Is Key” volunteer opportunity. You’ll feel empowered knowing you’re inspiring the next generation of lifelong readers.”

4) Go ahead! Start your own book club: Even if you miss some meetings, skip some chapters you’ll still enjoy meeting up and making new friends through sharing a good book together.**

5) Jot it down: Keep a list of books read and when. Also keep a list of books that you read to your children and that your children have read. When old enough, have your child start a reading journal. They will enjoy looking back to see the books that they have read. ***

**Book Club Ideas: I was in a mommy group for 1 year where we met weekly for a playgroup and book discussion. During that year we read books such as: The Power of a Praying Wife & The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian, and we would bring articles from magazines or the internet that we had read on parenting to discuss.

***Jot it down: I have a journal where I keep a list of all books recommended by friends, who that friend is and why recommended. I’m also making my way through reading all the books off some lists that I have collected. Some of those lists include:

1) Top 100 novels, printed from the Dallas Morning News nearly 10 yrs ago

2) BBC top 100

I’m always taking recommendations so please feel free to recommend some books. I love good fun reads to calm my mind before falling asleep, inspirational reads, surprisingly good reads, educational reads, surprise me!

The picture to the right is my son and the son of a fellow kappa. From haircuts to museums to being great reading buddies, we all have a lot of fun when we get together. Kappa gave us the opportunity and gift of making memories and a friendship to last a lifetime.

Reading is such a gift that you can give to your child by encouraging them to read.

Read daily to your child and it is NEVER too young to start reading!

Hope everyone had a nice Martin Luther King, Jr. day, yesterday. In theme with my post for reading, this week, I got to thinking about the book MLK wrote. Through a community group, marriage class, a friend of ours, Ray, talked passionately about the book written by Martin Luther King, Jr. The book really inspires from what I heard. I was so inspired just listening to Ray talk about MLK, that I have added the book to my list of books to read. On that note, MLK was truly a great man. The following are some of my favorite quotes from MLK.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.”
“The day we see the truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Not only will we have to repent for the sins of bad people; but we also will have to repent for the appalling silence of good people.”

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  

“Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.”

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

“On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.”  

“the time is always right to do the right thing”

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”

“There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.”

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?”

Here’s a thought, for graduating students of 2012, why not gift the MLK book to inspire them. After all, according to a Jenkins Group survey, 42% of college graduates will never read another book. I think that is really sad!

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”  – Dr. Seuss, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut

Not only is it an intimate and special way to spend time with your child, but reading aloud to your children, from birth to adulthood, will help them develop a love for reading.

1. Read stories that you also enjoy. If you dread reading something, your child will see that in your reading.
2. If your child interrupts, or wants to stay on a certain page, asking questions, then stop and answer the questions. Go with the flow of your child’s interest in the book. Your goal doesn’t have to be completing the reading of the book but to be into the book through a read. While there is no time limit on reading a book, if a child gets too caught up on one item you might try to divert their attention and move on.
3. Find places that are comfortable but not too comfortable. You don’t want to be falling asleep everytime you read together.

Reading is such a gift that you can give to your child by encouraging them to read.

Read daily to your child and it is NEVER too young to start reading!