So with Ava turning three last week, it just occurred to me that she doesn't know a lot of the things Noah did at this age. Now I know that all kids are different with varied interests and learning styles . . . but I also suspect that I may be slacking.Since she was born, I've had a hard time "bringing myself back" to the age she is at. I'm constantly reminding myself that I can't expect her to act like a 5-year-old . . . but I'm also constantly forgetting. Will my oldest always be my benchmark and the place I seem to get stuck in time? I certainly hope not!
Looking back, Noah seemed to learn by osmosis - like he suddenly knew things without me having a clue how he knew them. And I assumed that Ava would be the same way. But of course, if I think about it a little more, I know that I spent all my days doing age-appropriate activities with him. And Ava spends her days doing age-appropriate activities for a five-year-old.
So, my next hurdle is to include activities for her every day. Can I even remember what a three-year-old needs to know? Why is this so difficult? For our summer session, we added game time for her a few times each week - simple stuff like Memory and the great new Curious George game she got for her birthday. Today, we dove into Starfall (both the game and the website) and she loved them. We've tried a few times in the past, but she didn't show much interest. Perhaps she is just ready to learn now.
So rather than beating myself up for slacking, I'm trying to feel good about picking up on her cues . . . but of course still feeling some tiny pangs of guilt for not noticing sooner.
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