Something fun for me has been getting Max things with which to play. After our visit to Montessori Mick (my brother) in Austin in December, I've wanted to help Max expand his imagination.
I found this article and it resonated, The Best Toys for Babies Don't Do Anything. Since then I've scoured everywhere from the Dollar Store to Michael Olaf for stainless steel bowls, salsa bowls, colanders, wiffle balls and a cat jingle toy, plastic chains, wooden toys, instruments, a silicone potholder, hair curlers, magnets. In his room we can play toys or music or read; there is a Costco gel foam bathmat especially for earlier infant Max to lay on, and a beautiful butterfly mobile and cloud mobile from Spain (Aunt Abby).
We do play with these toys when we're home. He's getting better at entertaining himself, though it's imperative he's not in a room by himself (for the loneliness). But I have been surprised, thought I shouldn't be, at how much he wants to play with "real" things.
He wants spoons and knives and forks, his teething gel box, his diaper cream, his grandma's fingernail brush, plates, pill boxes, dog dishes, remote controls, lids. I got him a sheepskin teddy bear from Australia for Christmas and the first time he's ever shown any inclination was yesterday when I put it in his hands. But oh, how he would love to touch the humidifier. Hairbrushes, hot sauce bottles, coasters, keys. The louder you can bang it on the table, the better!
I've tracked the little master at his craft and here he is, imagining alright.
I found this article and it resonated, The Best Toys for Babies Don't Do Anything. Since then I've scoured everywhere from the Dollar Store to Michael Olaf for stainless steel bowls, salsa bowls, colanders, wiffle balls and a cat jingle toy, plastic chains, wooden toys, instruments, a silicone potholder, hair curlers, magnets. In his room we can play toys or music or read; there is a Costco gel foam bathmat especially for earlier infant Max to lay on, and a beautiful butterfly mobile and cloud mobile from Spain (Aunt Abby).
We do play with these toys when we're home. He's getting better at entertaining himself, though it's imperative he's not in a room by himself (for the loneliness). But I have been surprised, thought I shouldn't be, at how much he wants to play with "real" things.
He wants spoons and knives and forks, his teething gel box, his diaper cream, his grandma's fingernail brush, plates, pill boxes, dog dishes, remote controls, lids. I got him a sheepskin teddy bear from Australia for Christmas and the first time he's ever shown any inclination was yesterday when I put it in his hands. But oh, how he would love to touch the humidifier. Hairbrushes, hot sauce bottles, coasters, keys. The louder you can bang it on the table, the better!
I've tracked the little master at his craft and here he is, imagining alright.
The whisk and a teaspoon and an Easter egg
Humidifier spout and sunglasses,
puddle of water preferred
Hello magazines sitting next to
the basket of board books
It is no exaggeration that tonight,
he crawled past all these toys to
play with the white noise machine
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