One Activity Improv Challenge Follow-up

I had a lot of ideas for mess-making. A LOT of ideas thanks to many friends and some internet searching. Most of which didn't get used but the warm up to focusing on saying yes to the mess was helpful and fortunately, ideas don't go bad.

And in focusing on saying "YES!" to messy projects for a week, I learned (or relearned) a number of things.

• Process, process, process...it is all about the process. LP was totally happy playing with the shaving cream so we didn't get around to adding food coloring or paint. When I set up paper mache, she wanted to play with the ripped up newspaper, the cardboard, the tape and the glue in turn but wasn't interested in putting those elements together. AND I also had reinforced that LP's body is her favorite canvas.
  

• If you love it, do it again! LP is always a fan of playdough and clay. She was particularly happy with the homemade playdough that I made with this cornstarch/baking soda recipe. I think she used this at some point every day, some times on its own and other times with paint and toys.
  

• There is always room for more YES! LP wanted cornstarch and cornstarch and more cornstarch to play with. She made a small "snowdrift" and rolled around in it and wanted more. Sadly we were out but oh, how I wished for a huge box of cornstarch to see what would happen.
  

• Ask myself "why not?" When I didn't want to do something, I asked myself why...when LP wanted to add playdough to the paint, my first reaction was "no" but really, there's no reason why not. This question also lead me to some rearranging. LP has an easel but it despite her love of doing things art-related, it wasn't getting much use. Now the easel is on an easy-to-clean-up mat (instead of the hardwood floor) and has open space around it (at least lessening the opportunity to paint and color "accidentally" on other things).
  

• And ask myself "why not?" again. By focusing on saying yes to mess, I also was giving myself space to look at when I say "no" (or want to say "no") and check out why. I also was able to pay attention to how to make our transitions out of messy play a better experience for us both (start early, give lots of verbal prep and break it down into small steps...I've tended to be all gung-ho and then go "oh no! I have to make dinner" and rush from one thing to the next which is not the way to go for this 2.5 year old).
  

So it was a worthwhile experiment and one I'm sure I'll do again.

Storytime: Working Out the Fear

The nights have been long this past week; LP has entered a phase (hopefully a short phase) of waking up around 12:30 screaming.

The first two nights, it seemed to be night terrors connected to a mask she was fascinated by at a Mexican restaurant. The next night was a mystery. The next two nights seemed to be because I wasn't home at bedtime (for the first time in a loooong time, too looong a time). And the last two nights have been because she is trying to drive me over the edge (not far to go right now, the sleep deprivation is severe). Is it a new habit? More night terrors? Teething? Growing pains? A mysterious phase that will work itself out because that is what happens...things change and change and change.

LP & I did work through the mask fear by using stories. (During the day, storytelling did nothing for us in the middle of the night.)

Over 2-3 days, most of the stories we told together were about the mask. Some were in passing, some were sitting down and focused and some were while sculpting masks out of sand at the playground.

The mask was described again and again (green with big eyes and a red tongue sticking out); the mask made friends with Gumby (they do have being green in common) and a frog (hmmm...more green, I'm sensing a theme in LP's life), AND then the mask learned the dreidel song and sang it with LP ("I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay..."). Learning the dreidel song seemed to be the thing that put her fears about the mask to rest.

Maybe someone could do some stories with me to work out my fear of never getting enough sleep?