Go Local with a Being Savvy City Blog
June 2008
Theme: “All About Me and Mine”
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The BeingSavvy blog has new posts every day, bringing you our wit and wisdom, our favorite books, toys, activities, web resources, articles -- basically, the best of our thinking as Savvy parents.
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Little Hands and Faces
And once they get the hang of drawing faces, many of these little artists move into their self-portrait period. The inevitable grown-up question "Who are you drawing?" almost always elicits "Me!" Of course. Did we need to ask? But if the drawings are always of "Me," it's a me that is always changing. As we wrote last month, being creative is how young children create and understand their own growing selves. So it's worth paying attention to these images.
For instance -- we know one four-year-old who is smack dab in the middle of this self-portraiture phase. She's got bobbed hair, but always draws herself with long multi-colored locks. And there's usually a rainbow in the picture too. But we figured out just how revealing these pictures could be after a none too happy visit to the dentist. (The jaw clenched, lips sealed no matter how many bribes, entreaties, and videos you throw my way kind of visit.) Since then her self-portraits have always included teeth. Very very pointy teeth. Fangs, really. In other words: stay away from my mouth, Dr. Dentist, or you'll be sorry. Got it.
So: for invaluable insight such as this into your little one's psyche, do encourage their handprints and self-portraits. (And don't forget to date them for posterity!) It being Tuesday (List Day), we offer you our short list of the many relevant prompts for doing so from the Savvy Activities Encyclopedia.
And by the way: sometimes an activity that's all about your preschooler can also yield a lovely gift for someone who thinks that preschooler is the best thing ever. Namely, Dad. Or, for that matter, Grandad. Because, don't you know, it's Father's Day this Sunday. (Ack!) But there's no need to panic. Because if you don't have the perfect thing already picked out, all you've got to do is pop one of these handprints or self-portraits into a cheerful frame, tie it up with a bow, and there you have it. And for more Father's Day inspiration, keep reading...!
Comments
My son just recently celebrated his birthday - at school they did a body tracing of him and had the kids in his class all say something about him which the teacher wrote on the cut-out. I'm going to do one at home of him and give it to his dad with my son coloring his self portrait.
The self portrait idea is a wonderful one. We have been helping our (3 year old) daughter make a photo album of loved ones she takes with the v-tech camera (got that recommendation from you as well)! It's not exactly a self-portrait, but is too in a way...
One of the best gifts we've made for grandparent s(granddads) has been a color-me-mine mug with a little handprint. They are adorable.
Leanne said:
One of the fun and interesting things my son has done is make a picture of himself of what he will look like when he is 100. I love it! He has white cotton balls all over his head, glasses and crazy looking eyes!
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