Well there was a ‘revenge of the big brother’ incident following on from Scarlett being a minx all day. I was in the playroom when I heard some various shouting and hollering (Scarlett screaming and Davies yelling at her to stop screaming) getting more and more agitated until suddenly there was a bump and some more crying. I dashed in and Davies admitted straightaway to having thrown the wastepaper bin at Scarlett to stop her from screaming (and it *was* very annoying so I did sort of see his point!). It had caught her on the side of her forehead and scraped her nose a bit too. Bump and purpling bruise on head, screaming toddler and crying older brother who was truly shocked and horrified at what had happened. I sent him away while I dealt with her and deemed it to be a fairly small incident, so I called him back to apologise and kiss her better. After a small chat about consequences of actions and so on we left it there (although I did make him tell Daddy when he got home exactly how Tarly got the egg on her head). He is genuinely sorry and it was not a random act of violence, more him going a bit extreme in trying to shut her up 🙂 So no real harm done. Added to her runny nose, split lip from eating a kiwi fruit (not at all sure what she did but her whole bottom lip appears to be split, there was blood dripping from her chin although she was oblivious – ick!) and snot filled hair she is not at her most attractive:-)
Davies was late to sleep again tonight, he is fairly adamant about the ghosts and has also been asking questions about dying and other such deep stuff recently. I don’t think there is any more to it than a curiosity which has been sparked by something somewhere, but I am being careful as to how I answer his questions as something is obviously playing on his mind.
So in all it has been a pretty good day considering tiredness, injury and cold viruses! Tomorrow we have more of the same planned and if I can face that interesting combination of snot and glitter we might just get some cards made!
Oh the other thing I have been pondering on of late is so called extra curricular activities. Davies is exibiting normal four year old boy behaviour of needing to run around screaming and let off some energy, which is something I am not particularly good at dealing with. I know if he was at school he would be getting his hour a day in the playground and I do wonder if he does need an equivilent really. I have not looked into it properly yet, and am slightly reluctant to start getting tied down to regular committments but we are thinking about some sort of group or activity for him for all sorts of reasons:
*The beginning of being left – by no means a necessity, it would be nice to start getting him a bit more independant, and if he was to find somewhere he was confident to stay without me, or even having me in the background instead of constantly by his side it would be good;
*an outlet for all that energy, something for him to channel his enthusiasm into would be nice, and if that energy could be harnessed I’m sure it would be very effective at something!
*something just for him – everything we do currently is either for all of us as a family or has to fit to become so – he is maybe held back slightly while Scarlett is pushed forward to make a ‘one size fits all’ for them both. It would be great for him if there was something which belonged to Davies;
*all of the other associated benefits of such groups, socialising, mixing with other children and hopefully making friends, learning a new skill or discipline and so on.
The things we have so far considered and will be looking into as possibilities are: cub scouts, swimming lessons, some form of martial art, drama or music and movement type sessions. Any other suggestions, recommendations or ideas gratefully receieved 🙂
Well, in the spirit of Groucho Marx, I wouldn’t let him join any martial arts club that would have him. Four is too young, on all sorts of levels. I used to teach martial arts to children, and we did take them from five and that was too young for a lot of them too.
Swimming lessons go down well here, and it’s also a rather useful skill if you ask me. What about gymnastics?
Thanks Jax for that, I had forgotten you were ‘martial arts lady’ – is there any good preparatory skills he could be learning and what age do you think is right (or does it depend on the child)?
I think swimming is ace, it’s the one thing my lot *have* to do, iyswim. It’s a lifesaving skill, and they’re not allowed to give up lessons until they can swim well enough.
The girls love gym … but it is rather girl dominated at the sports centre we go to. Otherwise, how about football? Far more running around involved there, I would have thought.
Don’t know when Davies’ birthday is, but I imagine you might have to wait till he’s 5 for some of these things … although you’d find swimming lessons now, I expect. hth.
I would say swimming and gym club are best at this age. I agree with Jax that children should be at least 6 for nartial arts. Boo started at 5 but her dad is the teacher so was able to control what she did! Most swimming clubs take children from 3.5, Buzz is having to wait until almost 4 as there are no spaces!Swimming is also the one thing mine ‘have’ to do. I had to be lifesaved when I was 7 and it was terrifying! I was once told I was a child abuser to say that my children had to learn to swim by some hippy woman- I would be far more of an abuser if I didn’t and they drowned!!
Football clubs are normally around 5 also. Good luck 🙂
What about something like Tumble Tots Nic. I only took LC once – she was only 2 1/2 and it didn’t suit her but there is plenty of activity there although perhaps a bit too regimented for me – on second thoughts perhaps not LOL
Hmm, looks like it might be swimming then 🙂
He is only just 4 (September). Me and Ady had talked about football and decided it’s probably not a very ‘Davies’ thing – he is not that good at being in the middle of loads of shouting children, he would just run the other way if someone tried to tackle him for the ball. We may be doing him a diservice but niether of us see him as a competitive contact sport sort of child.
Mine all loved their trampolining! Although Scarlett would probably want to do it too ….
Elijah loves swimming but doesn’t want to do lessons. Poppy started at 4 and a bit, but only did a term and a half, I think, and was much happier when she restarted later, at 6 3/4 (took her that long to actually want to go again, although we were swimming pretty regularly all that time). Tilda was 5 1/2 when she started. I’ve told them they have to finish Level 7 (Kelloggs thing) before they get the choice whether to stop or carry on.
Just had a quick look – round here, for under 5’s, your sports centre options are trampolining, mini-gym and swimming lessons.
There’s always dancing classes too – they usually have a boy or two in the younger groups. We don’t have anything drama-y here for under 6’s but I might have gone for that if it had been a possibililty.
There are mini-soccer sessions and dancing classes for HE’d kids in the pipeline locally – they’d be any age, but probably 4+ in practice. Elijah is starting to think he’d like to join in the soccer if it comes off …
Perhaps you could do something at your new HE group? Some kind of running around games?
Do you think *he* wants to do anything? 😉
well I’ve asked him and it really depends how I ‘sell’ it to him. He is not thrilled about the idea of being anywhere without me (and Scarlett come to think of it!)and I am not up for the level of activities some of the older blogged children do. He has just said he wants to do football – he’s not so keen on other little boys being there and he wants to know that I will stay there but maybe we need to give it a go before writing it off…hmmm, off to check and see what is available locally…
Just thought Nic, it’s worth looking at the venue too – at the place where Poppy did gym, the parents stayed in the hall, or you could go up to a balcony, but the children could still see you. And at the mini-soccer (different sports centre), the hall has a balcony so you are visibly still there if you can’t stay in the hall. He might find that reassuring if he did start anything 🙂
And ikwym about the level of activities! Can feel like loads here, and all they regularly do is swimming (which I want them to do) and one thing for themselves (diving and now Tilda’s guitar lesson). And then there’s GB, but that’s very cheap, and I don’t have to stay there, so it’s actually quite a nice hour and a half, lol! I think the worst thing about them doing stuff is the waiting around with the other child(ren). Still, even only 2 or 3 things a week is going to be alot when multiplied by 4 children ….
oh, absolutely the worst thing about activities is the waiting around. Still, I read a nice big chunk of my book while Anna was at cello today.
Good point about the venue, Alison … I always have the opposite problem with the girls, if I am visible they play up and try to wave to me, I have to be out of sight if they’re going to pay the slightest bit of attention to whoever is taking the session! Josiah is a different kettle of fish though … the whole swimming palaver with him has been solved relatively easily by me watching him at the beginning and end of each lesson.
Anyway, let us know what you unearth in your area, Nic 🙂