Yesterday I took the Toddler into Old Navy where I relearned an important lesson about shopping with young children.
Don’t do it.
But, if you must, never purchase a rubber bouncy ball {for twenty-five cents} set up as a trap in the children’s clothing area of the store.
I’m not sure how I thought this was going to go {as if she was going to be content to just look at it}, but approximately ten minutes after the ball slid out of the machine I was sweating from recovering it from under shelves and chasing it all over the store. Do have any idea how far a rubber ball can go from where it is originally tossed? Very, very far.
At one point, a kind associate noticed we were struggling and thought it might remedy the problem if she gave the Toddler a balloon on a stick instead.
Though the gesture was sweet, that only made matters worse.
It was something like trying to shop while playing a game of dodge ball. Granted it doesn’t hurt to get hit in the head with a balloon, but I would describe it as mildly distracting.
So, shopping with persons under the age of 5-ish is challenging and really just unwise. Also this week I am remembering another thing that is challenging with children. Sight words.
Learning to read is surely one of the most exciting things a person ever learns to do. It expands the world exponentially.
That being said, it doesn’t come easy.
Each week in kindergarten the kids are given new sight words, which are words that don’t necessarily sound as they spell so they must be memorized based on how they look. For example, these were last week’s “sight” words:
Our assignment as parents is to go over these words throughout the week to assure the kids are learning them and are ready to be tested on Fridays.
The Kindergartener understands this system and reluctantly cooperates while we go over the words.
Me: What’s this one?
Her: Mother {which she pronounces “mudder”}
Me: Ok. This one?
Her: I don’t know.
Me: Not over there, but right _____.
Her: Here!
Me: Good!
So, then I show her the flash cards of these same words. And, we come to the word, “the.”
She looks at it and says with a confident nod of her head, “Hit.” {This is because “hit” is one of the words they’re learning in the “-it” word family}.
Me: No, look at it closely.
Her: Here!… Mudder!… Love!… Is!!… It’s is!
Me: It can only be one word.
Her {still looking at the word “the”}: Hit.
Me: No, no, no. It’s THE!! T-H-E is THE!! THE!!
And, she laughs hysterically at my frustration as I continue to rant on and on. Honestly, I think she gets some sort of kick out of doing this to me.
The Spouse {from downstairs}: What is going on up there?
Me: SIGHT WORDS! THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON!!
I am embarrassed by my own impatience. For bouncy balls. For sight words. For all of it. What is wrong with me?
The end. Or, maybe I should say “hit” end.
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