The Toddler Walk
Or dawdle. Or not-a-walk, as the case may be.
I am big time in favor of giving LP time to explore and we are fortunate to live someplace where there is plenty of interesting nature lining the sidewalk (thank you neighborhood gardeners!).
Add that to cracks in the sidewalk, sewer covers, miscellaneous trash and cigarette butts to the toddler-developmentally-appropriate-doing-it-in-my-time way of going, it is hard to get anywhere.
I recently realized that I was going the most nutty about the slow pace of things when I had hopes of making it somewhere. Not a need or specific destination but more of "if we get to the end of the block we can see if our neighbor's are home" or "maybe E and M are out in their yard" or "if we can make it to the cafe, I'm getting coffee!" Or truly, sometimes I'm just itchy to be moving and while I could change the game and carry her, I also like to have her walk to her heart's content (which also seems to bring on better sleep at night).
About 2 weeks ago, I jumped on an inspiration and said to LP "oh! I feel a stomp coming on..." and began to slowly move down the sidewalk stomping my feet while saying "Stomp, stomp, stomp." I paused and held out my hand and she scurried over to take it and we did that with variations (tippy-toe, tippy-toe, stomp, gallop, gallop, little step, little step). I use a different voice for each kind of way of moving.
LP doesn't have the gross motor skills yet to do each movement but she likes to say the words along and do her own variations. She also added pausing to "squat" which she finds hysterical (and is a stretch for me!).
There are moments of self-consciousness when folks walk by or are in their yards, but those are fleeting moments and this game brings a big grin to LP's face. That is always a beautiful sight - she lights up from within.
After 2 weeks, it still has some staying power. When I say "I feel a stomp coming on," she does still scurry over. It just doesn't last as long - now we tend to get about 10 feet or so before she's moved on to the next thing that interests her...at least for now it is getting us around the block 10 feet at a time. I'll have to be open to inspiration of building on the "stomp walk" (saying "yes" to it) and see what happens.
I am big time in favor of giving LP time to explore and we are fortunate to live someplace where there is plenty of interesting nature lining the sidewalk (thank you neighborhood gardeners!).
Add that to cracks in the sidewalk, sewer covers, miscellaneous trash and cigarette butts to the toddler-developmentally-appropriate-doing-it-in-my-time way of going, it is hard to get anywhere.
I recently realized that I was going the most nutty about the slow pace of things when I had hopes of making it somewhere. Not a need or specific destination but more of "if we get to the end of the block we can see if our neighbor's are home" or "maybe E and M are out in their yard" or "if we can make it to the cafe, I'm getting coffee!" Or truly, sometimes I'm just itchy to be moving and while I could change the game and carry her, I also like to have her walk to her heart's content (which also seems to bring on better sleep at night).
About 2 weeks ago, I jumped on an inspiration and said to LP "oh! I feel a stomp coming on..." and began to slowly move down the sidewalk stomping my feet while saying "Stomp, stomp, stomp." I paused and held out my hand and she scurried over to take it and we did that with variations (tippy-toe, tippy-toe, stomp, gallop, gallop, little step, little step). I use a different voice for each kind of way of moving.
LP doesn't have the gross motor skills yet to do each movement but she likes to say the words along and do her own variations. She also added pausing to "squat" which she finds hysterical (and is a stretch for me!).
There are moments of self-consciousness when folks walk by or are in their yards, but those are fleeting moments and this game brings a big grin to LP's face. That is always a beautiful sight - she lights up from within.
After 2 weeks, it still has some staying power. When I say "I feel a stomp coming on," she does still scurry over. It just doesn't last as long - now we tend to get about 10 feet or so before she's moved on to the next thing that interests her...at least for now it is getting us around the block 10 feet at a time. I'll have to be open to inspiration of building on the "stomp walk" (saying "yes" to it) and see what happens.
Labels: improv action walk
posted by Susan at
9:24 AM
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