Tag Archives: Tanya H. Franklin

A Swimmingly Fun Summer with My Little Girl

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With a big smile on her face, my four year old said, “Look at me, Mommy! I’m swimming!” Actually, she was doing something I recall doing as a child: wading in the water and moving my arms back and forth to give the illusion that I was swimming. When Quinn was not quite a year and half, my husband and I signed her up for swim lessons and figured she’d do fine since she loved playing in her bath tub water. However, once in a much larger body of water, an olympic sized swimming pool at a nearby college, my poor baby would cling onto me for dear life. We thought that perhaps she could sense my nervousness, so my husband decided to go in with her. While she did much better and even seemed to be having fun on an occasion or two, one of the instructor’s methods was immersing the child fully in the water, just for a second or two in a playful way, but my little girl was having none of that. She looked absolutely terrified. After that, it was extremely difficult to get her in the water without clinging on to my next or my husband’s neck.

We figured that it was normal and that she’d eventually become relaxed and more comfortable in the water, as some of the other children, ranging from under a year up to age three, but after a couple of months she still seemed anxious yet was not able to verbalize how she was feeling. At that point, we thought it was best to not continue lessons and to revisit them once Quinn showed an interest and could tell us what she wanted.

In the months and few years that followed that experience, she does enjoy water play and being in the ocean holding my hand, and being in a large swimming pool is a totally different experience for her: certainly more fun! Based on how she’s been enjoying the water in an actually swimming pool this summer, I think she just might be ready for swim lessons again.

We even talked about it on a few occasions, and unlike when she was a year and a half and unable to tell me what frightened her or made her uneasy about swimming, at four years old, she had no problem telling me, “Mommy, I just doesn’t like it when water gets in her eyes.”  This is understandable because I don’t like that either, so we went shopping to pick out some Paw Patrol goggles. Not too far from “The Little Gym,” where Quinn takes classes, a new swim school geared towards children opened up, so I plan on looking into it to see if it’s a good fit for her. I’m hoping that my little girl will “really” be able to swim or at least feel more comfortable in a large swimming pool in the years and summers to come.

All the best,

Tanya

 

Derailing the “Train” for a Fun Journey with My Daughter

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Yesterday, my daughter and I, along with my sister and her daughter, had a fun-filled outing in downtown Philadelphia. We went to the Candytopia exhibit, had lunch and just walked around and explored. We tend to go on many fun outings. Sometimes we walk, but most times we drive. What made yesterday even more exciting was that we derailed our usual routine of driving and took the train.

Believe it or not, it was my six year old’s very first time taking the SEPTA regional rail train, with the exception of the Strausburg Railroad for train rides with Thomas the Tank Engine and with Santa. As we waited on the platform in the 30 degrees Fahrenheit weather, Quinn exclaimed, “I’m excited but a little nervous.” Then, she noticed the words on the ground in front of the yellow safety zone. “Watch the Gap,” she read. Then she took a few steps back and said, “I’m nervous because I don’t want to fall down on the tracks.” I reassured her that I’d hold her hand and that she’d be fine. When the train approached, she was beaming with excitement and asked to sit by the window.

I enjoyed sharing stories with her about when I would take the train to college, and I was reminded of when I was younger always loving to look out the window on the train and just observe people coming and going. She was amazed at how fast we were going and even observed how it was “speedier than the train ride with Santa.”

After enjoying our time downtown, we hurried back to our regional rail stop from Reading Terminal Market, and Quinn was eagerly looking forward to her train ride back home. Even though we were greeted by a sign that said our train was delayed by 18 minutes, she was a good sport and actually like the environment of just sitting on the bench and seeing people go by.

I remember always being on the bus and train when I was younger, especially since my mother did not drive, so it was not as big a deal for me. When I saw Quinn’s excitement, I realized that I need to occasionally derail my routine a bit. While it’s great to have the luxury of getting in a car and driving to our destination, I want Quinn to have the fun experiences she may not normally do. It helps to make her well-rounded and to even appreciate what she has. We both agreed that it would be nice to take the train downtown and to other places more often, and my plan is to make sure that happens.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Little Scientist: Never Too Young for STEM

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She put on her white lab coat and selected the experiment she wanted to conduct. I assisted her with arranging the items needed, and she then smiled and said, “I have to out on my science glasses for safety before we get started!” We first saw the “Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Activity Set (12 pieces)” in the Franklin Institute Gift Shop, and my four year old just had to have it. The price was $30, but upon checking through Amazon.com, I saw that I could get it for just $18.11. Though there were some tears shed and a fit or two had, I eventually convinced my daughter that it was better for us to order through Amazon so that we could save some money and have a little left over to get the lab coat too. 

Quinn loves doing projects, activities and games, especially STEM related ones. Though I have a Liberal Arts background, I too enjoy these projects and was just as eager for the package to arrive. The kit is for children as young as three, but I must say that some adults could benefit and have fun from these science experiments that are not all that time consuming and require items that most people already have in their household.

Though my little girl is not writing as yet, we were able to discuss what she thought would happen before starting a project. I even taught her the word: hypothesis. We enjoyed doing the primary color experiment together, and days later she still talks about the primary and secondary colors and how red and blue make purple. Quinn’s Nana thoroughly enjoyed doing the volcano experiment with her so much that they did it two times.

Some of the other experiments involve learning about how plants sprout from seeds, examining different insects and determining what sinks and floats, and we’re both looking forward to doing them too. I was so impressed by the twelve piece kit that I ordered the Learning Resources Primary Science Deluxe Lab Set, 45 Piece set so that we can do more experiments in the weeks to come.

These experiments remind me of how much I enjoyed going to science class in grade school and how I wish these at home kits existed when I was younger. Of course, there’s no absolute science to raising children and making sure they have a perfect childhood and have a solid foundation for learning, but I’m so grateful to be creating these memories with my daughter and hope they stay with her for years to come.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Little Creative Story Teller or Pinocchio?

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Pinocchio-wallpapers

“Are you sure Daddy said you can have another treat” I asked my daughter, and she responded, “Yes!” I then raised my eyebrow looking at her intently. She nervously asked, “Why are you looking at me like that, Mommy?” With a frantic voice, I said, “Oh my goodness! Your nose! It’s growing!” I chuckled to myself as she recanted her statement claiming, “No, Daddy didn’t say I could have another treat. Then, she quickly touched her nose, her eyes welled up wth tears and her voice began to waver as she inquired, “Mommy, is my nose still growing? I don’t want to be like Pinocchio!”

My four year old looked so concerned and weary, and I actually felt bad when I saw her ready to cry because I was just playing around and did not anticipate that response from her. Also, I try my best to use positive reinforcement rather than focus on the negative. We actually did have a conversation about the importance of telling the truth, and she usually does. But on an occasion or two when I know she may be “fudging” the truth a little, I just scratch the tip of my nose as I ask her again, and she’ll tell the truth without me uttering a word. I definitely don’t want to stifle her creativity and do encourage her to share stories, but I’m hoping we can use those “tall tales” to promote her cognitive development and  imaginative play.

Does your child like to tell “stories?” What techniques do you use to keep them from being little Pinocchios?

All the best,

Tanya

 

Put on a Happy Face: My Little Girl Makes Me Smile

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With concentration, she held the chalk between her fingers first making a large circle, rubbing away part of it to start over again for precision then continuing by making smaller circles inside of the larger one. I then asked, “What are you drawing sweetheart?” “A happy face!” my daughter responded as she finished up her drawing with a smile and even eyebrows, “And it has to be perfect,” she continued. When I asked why she chose to draw a happy face, she told me, “Because I’m happy, and I love making happy faces.”

To hear my daughter say she’s happy and to see the smile on her face or the happy faces she draws fills me with so much happiness. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t put a smile on my face. Even when she may sulk for a bit, have to receive a warning if she’s misbehaving, or be upset because she believes it’s unfair that she can’t get a toy from the store or have a piece of candy, before long, she’s back to her jovial self bringing light into my life and all those with whom she comes in contact.

She always manages to bring a smile to my face, and I look forward to many more happy, smiling faces in the future courtesy of my little girl.

All the best,

Tanya

Life’s a Beach: Fun in the Sand and Ocean with My Little Girl

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Toes wiggling in the sand with a smile on her sun-kissed face. Then waves crashing against her body reaching her shoulders at times as she squealed and yelled out, “Here comes another wave!” I am so happy that we decided to take our daughter to the beach for some summer fun in Ocean City, Maryland and most recently to Atlantic City, as a much closer commute.

Quinn’s first time down the shore was when she was merely three months old when we just walked the boardwalk, but in the years to follow, we’ve made our way down to the actual beach and in the ocean and had the time of our lives enjoying nature together for hours.

This year, my four year old had fun collecting seashells and building sandcastles with her dad and cousins too. She also insisted on being making “mush,” a combination of sand and water, and being buried in the sand. While sand has a way of sticking around for days and even weeks after leaving the beach, it is well worth it to build wonderful memories as a family and to see that smile on my little girl’s face. Here’s to many more visits to the beach throughout the rest of the summer and in the years to come.

All the best,

Tanya

Throwback Thursday: Swinging Right Along with My Little Girl

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May 2014
May 2014
July 2017
July 2017

Even before my daughter was a year old, she loved to get in the swing, and she was so excited when my husband installed one for her on our tree in the front yard, but as the weather started getting warmer a few months ago, my little girl, who is now four years old, struggled to get in and out of the swing. She informed her father and me, “I need a big girl swing! This one is too small for me now!”

Wow, it seems like yesterday when Quinn would giggle as I pushed her in the swing and was still learning to talk. Now, she does well with articulating herself and even remembers what I taught her about swinging by herself. “You can push me for a little bit, and then I can use my legs to keep going higher and higher,” she told her dad after getting on her newly installed swing a few days ago.

Quinn and I both enjoy looking at pictures, and she especially loves looking at pictures from when she was much younger. When she came across some of her in the swing, she commented, “That’s when I was a baby in the baby swing. Wasn’t I cute? Now, I’m a big girl in a big girl swing!” I just thought to myself, “Where did the time go? I guess we’re swinging right along.”

All the best,
Tanya

What Would We Do Without It Wednesday: Thankful My Little Girl is Grateful

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With a smile on her face, climbing up her “new” jungle gym, my daughter said, “Wasn’t it nice of the neighbors to give this to me!” “It sure was,” I told her. She then proceeded to ask, “Why did they give it to me?” To which I responded, their children outgrew it, so they thought you would like it. “Wow, that was very thoughtful!” Quinn informed me. “Yes, it sure was.” I said.

More and more frequently, I hear people talk about how it’s a cruel world and that everyone is out for themselves or how so many people, especially the younger generations, have an attitude of entitlement. While it may be somewhat true, I sincerely do not believe all people are this way. I have been trying my best to instill positive values such as gratitude and hopefulness rather than entitlement and hopelessness in my four year old daughter, so it warms my heart each time she not only utters the phrase thank you but expresses her gratitude by acknowledging how thoughtful the other person is. I always tell her that when people do something nice or out of the kindness of their hearts, it must be acknowledged because they did not have to do anything.

Just yesterday, my uncle asked her is she wanted to help frost a pink lemonade cake for the July 4th cookout, and she was so excited and said, “Uncle David picked me to help with the cake! That was very nice of him.” After helping, she told him, without me coaching her, “Thank you for allowing me to help decorate the cake, Uncle David.”

I truly believe gratitude goes further than we think and that one is never too young or too old to display it. The world is not so cruel as long as we contribute some positivity towards it. I hope I am modeling a behavior where my daughter will continue to feel the same way I do well into adulthood.

All the best,

Tanya

Splishing & Splashing: Backyard Fun in the Summer

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“You want to get in too, Mommy?” my little girl asked as she splashed around in her brand new wading pool. “No, I think I’m too big, honey,” I informed her. With a smile, she quickly slid over telling me, “There’s plenty of room for you right here, Mommy!”

When I was a little girl, I loved getting in the wading pool with my sister. We’d sometimes be in there for hours until we were shriveled up like prunes. “Look at me, I’m swimming, Mommy!” Quinn excitedly told me as she got down low and stroked her arms in the water.

Watching her brought back so many wonderful memories and also reminded me that while going to a water park or a large pool can be fun, sometimes it’s nice to have a little fun together right in our own back yard.

All the best,

Tanya