Child Development: Why it's Okay for Children to Play on Their Own

April 18, 2021


While playing with other children helps your child to develop incredibly important social/emotional skills like turn-taking and communicating with their peers, it's also perfectly fine for children to play on their own as it helps them to develop other social/emotional skills that they might not develop as strongly in a group setting. 


As an ECE, where it is my job to keep an eye on the children that I work with at all times (even when they think they are alone), one of the biggest things that I learned while on maternity leave with my son was that I didn't have to be near him every single second of the day. It was okay for me to sit an read and let him explore.


As he got older, I started to realise that I also didn't need to have every single part of his day scheduled with activities, and that it was perfectly fine for me to let him be on his own with his toys in his room, or for me to be doing my own activity while he was doing something else nearby. 


Not only can it be exhausting to put the expectation on yourself to fill every moment of your child's day so that they are never bored, but it also erases the moments of boredom that make it possible for your child to come up with ideas and activities themselves to get rid of that boredom themselves.


Playing alone helps your child to develop independent problem solving skills that they might not have had the opportunity to get if there is someone else beside constantly solving their problems for them (peer or adult). It also creates a situation where they have to make their own fun, to push their boundaries of creativity, and to figure out how to calm themselves when they are frustrated (self-soothing). A certain sense of pride and accomplishment follows inventing your own task or game and completing it, too! 


There's also nothing wrong with your child having some quiet time for themselves, especially if they've just completed an activity or task that required a lot of energy, or was a sensory over-load. Time to yourself is an excellent way to recharge your battery (and it gives parents time to recharge too!).


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Behind the Art: Mom, You are Lovely

April 11, 2021

Mom, You are Lovely


This was one of the very first cards that I designed for Mother's Day. It came with the idea that the word lovely can mean so many different things. Not only does it refer to how someone looks, but their personality and that, to you, they are loveable. Paired with the simplicity of the rose drawing, I took it to be that your mom is a wonderful person, and you wanted to let her know that.

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Now He Is 10!

April 01, 2021

 


Folks, we have reached the double digits!!


Here we are, once again, celebrating another birthday during the pandemic. This year, he requested an ice cream blizzard cake from Dairy Queen, and we ordered supper from Boston Pizza (the spaghetti with bolognaise is his favourite).


This past year brought a lot of different changes and challenges to our lives that no one can really prepare for, but we met them head-on as a family. This guy has become more independent with each passing day, and we have learned how to collaborate more and and bring him into the conversation. Of course there are times when we have to put our parental feet down, but life is getting to be less about having control and more about helping him learn how to take the reins. He is still very much the thoughtful, kind, and caring boy that we have always known him to be. 


This (little) boy cares deeply about the people in his life, and will still stop what he is doing to help you, or to give you a hug to make you feel better. Now is the time he is starting to learn more specific emotions and nuanced behaviours, and digging deeper into what it means to be a good friend and a good citizen.


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