 Do you ever wonder what to do with your kids of different ages? Lisa Hanson and Heather Kempskie, twin sisters, did. As their families grew from one child to two they wondered actively how they would be able to engage their older kids as well as their younger kids – at the same time!! Could it be done??
They started with a few activities and figured out how to modify those activities for the younger child and found it was, indeed, possible, to spend time with kids of different ages at the same time with the same activity. They shared their success with friends and family and over time their list of activities grew into a big enough collection to become this book.
The Siblings' Busy Book contactions 200 activities for infants to school age. The book is divided into how parents and kids think with the 11 chapters categorized into common themes such as “Rainy Day Fun, Let’s Pretend, Music & Movement, Outdoor Adventures, Out & About, Learning & Exploring, Team Family, World Family, Arts & Crafts, In The Kitchen, Seasons & Holidays”.
Team Family includes activities to help your family stay connected with family tree making and meal time conversation starters. One of the best activities is “Questions in the Jar”. What’s cool about this activitity is the questions can be anything that creates conversation at the meal table but allows family members to learn something about each other. Parents may not realize their child’s favorite color, vacation spot or dream job unless they ask!
In World Family, one of the activities involves charity and talks about ways to help young kids learn about giving back. Other activities in this section involve just learning about the world – the world of nature as well as other cultures.
This is really a something for everyone book and will empower you to really get to you know your kids. You may be wondering, are the authors “experts”? They are – they are parents! That’s the only expertise you need to spend time with your kids and create fun.
The book is not a "parenting" book and some people may find that a pitfall. We all know that sibling time isn't always peachy and activities don't always go as planned. So, you won't find a troubleshooting guide in this book on issues like what to do when kids have had enough, or when you have had enough. You won't find times on letting kids make a mess or reminders that if a child takes an activity in a new direction, that's A-OK. I'm assuming the authors have faith that all of us can figure that parenting stuff out for ourselves! Plus, as I mentioned, this is an activity book, not a parenting book. If you need a book on dealing with your child's behavior during an activity, you need a different book!
The Siblings' Busy Book is a creative guide for how to spend time with your growing family. As a resourceful parent, you'll have to figure the rest out yourself. That's what the ride of parenting is all about...and, honestly, where the magic often beings when we spend time with our kids. This is a great addition to the current activity books on the market - and also the perfect size for a diaper bag, purse or even a bag for a family trip!!
My Final 2cents:  |
