Top10 ways to spark interest, learn, and have fun with everyday tasks

Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Natural Parenting Top 10 Lists

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared Top 10 lists on a wide variety of aspects of attachment parenting and natural living. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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One of the things I love about natural parenting is the focus on simple and natural learning through everyday activities. I love the idea of teachable moments happening without forcing them along. Everyday tasks and chores can be turned into great fun, learning, and spark interests!

So with no further ado I present to you:

' Top10 ways to spark interest, learn, and have fun with everyday tasks! '



1) Take It Outside! 

I always loved the picturesque scene of shelling peas on the porch. Your kiddo will too.

When the weather is nice we take some work to the great outdoors. Maybe we sit on our porch while menu planning or on a big hand-knit blanket in the grass while pea shelling. No matter what, it makes any chore fun!

Everyone needs some sunlight and it is amazing how fast your spirits will soar when you get some fresh air. Outdoors is a great classroom to present some everyday activities! You can incorporate natural lessons such as growing veggies from seeds or let your little ones explore the grass, leaves, and bugs in the yard. They will learn their own lessons while you get some boring tasks done, such as budgeting. Babies will enjoy watching the grass move in the wind and hearing birds. Older kids will enjoy the exploration outside can bring. 

The mind will be clear and more able to soak up all the great things you can teach, such as where those peas came from before you bought them at the market!



2) Appeal to all 5 senses! 

Let your child really experience what you are doing. Tasting, feeling, smelling, seeing, and hearing are all important parts of learning. Young babies especially love to taste everything; they experience the world with their mouth! Try to find ways to safely incorporate chances to use different senses.


Folding laundry has bloomed into a favorite game in our home. Blip loves it when we rub the different fabrics against his cheek or arms so he can feel them. I encourage him to smell the clean clothes and we flap, crinkle, and talk about the task to appeal to his need to hear. Of course, he loves watching as I fold the clothes and pile them in neat stacks and since he is so young I always try to find safe things for him to mouth and taste. A clean scarf will often go straight in his mouth.


3) Use the high back carry
 
We love a nice and high back carry in our Woven. All kids have clingy days and this is great for those days. A back carry allows you to go about your daily necessities, with both hands free, while still having your little one observe everything. Try washing dishes or clothes using a good carrier for your high back carry. Your kiddo will be able to see everything you do and easily hear your feedback on the task at hand. Best of all, they are right near your ear, so you will be able to hear all the questions or excited baby sounds.




4) Get them Involved

 Babies and kids love being involved! It is no fun watching all the time.

Little babies will enjoy sitting with you and playing with the tools you are using. Help toddlers pour a teaspoon of vinegar into your homemade cleaning spray or have your preschooler help knead the bread dough. It really does not matter what you are doing, just get them involved! Simple tasks teach all sorts of great things when they get to do them along with you. Science, fine motor skills, a love for cooking, etc... 



5)Accidents happen: relax and learn from them

Never yell or act disappointed in your child if they accidentally mess something up, break something, or spill. Evey one has accidents, even us! When little Soya spills all the blueberries on the floor, stop and take a deep breath, and remember this is a teachable moment!

No need to scold or really even force the lesson. Just say, in a happy voice, that it is ok and show then how to fix or make the accident better.

"It's ok, why don't I help you pick up these berries! Then we can rewash them!" 

Embarrassing your child or forcing a lesson will not make them eager to try again; that trying is what really teaches!





6) Child size and accessible

 I love the Montessori idea of not having a child fit into a world that is too big for them. It is a great idea to have some smaller tools of the trade for tiny hands.

Smaller sponges and a broom could spark an interest in helping you clean. It is fun to act like mommy or daddy but it also teaches them valuable practical life lessons. When kids work with items that fit them, they learn real technique! Storing items in lower shelves, and finding ways for them to get eye level with the lessons, is also a great way of keeping them involved whenever their interests strike!

I love the idea of a  learning tower to supply a safe place for your kid to stand while helping you bake!


7) Appeal to their interests

If your baby is practicing slowly taking things out of baskets, let them help you pull out clothes from a basket while you fold. If your child is obsessed with animals, go buy eggs and milk at the farm. If it is a topic, such as space, that your kid just can't get enough of, incorporate it into your day. Read up on it together: your kid will love it, plus you will learn new things as well. Make it a theme for lunch or chat about it on the way to the store. 







8) Know when to let it be

There are times when Blip is just not interested in the tasks I'm doing. Maybe he would rather play with his blocks or hear a story. In cases like this, really try not to push it.

No one will have fun or learn anything if you are forcing them to participate and honestly it is a tantrum waiting to happen. Know when to let it be.  

Sometimes a baby just wants to be left alone for some tummy time because they are on a crawling breakthrough! Sometimes a kid just needs time to focus on toys or a nap. Sometimes they just want to cuddle and read and we just have to remember that the vacuum will be there later! We can always come back to the task, but one day our baby will be grown up.

9) Try something new


Little one starting to hate grocery shopping? Maybe you both just need a change in pace. A new setting can be a treasure trove of learning opportunities! Go to the farmers market for some outdoor fun, local food, and a new experience. I find it the best way to shop. Your little one will meet new people, see new things, and get interested in the task all over again!

Maybe make up a game to go with a task! Go to the library and let your child pick out a new cookbook. Give your baby a new view that they can watch from. A little change goes a long way. And sometimes it is good to fit some 100% new experiences into your day. 


10) Give a choice

 No one likes being told what to do! A few choices will take you far.

Give your baby the choice to play with the pot lids or the measuring spoons while you cook dinner. Let your kid pick the meal. Less tantrums and more excitement come with choices which means more hunger to learn! It's never too early to give the little ones the opportunity to make up their mind, that in itself is a valuable lesson!



All in all, relax and have fun watching your child soak up all sorts of information from the ordinary! Be prepared to answer questions!

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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be live and updated by afternoon March 8 with all the carnival links.)

• Attachment Parenting in the NICU — Erica at ChildOrganics shares some strategies to help you parent naturally in some unnatural circumstances.
• 10 Reasons to Choose Baby Led Weaning — Luschka from Diary of a First Child shares ten reasons to choose Baby Led Weaning when it comes to solids.
• Choosing to Breastfeed — From selfishness to self-giving, CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy lists reasons why breast is best for her and her family.
• Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Before Little Man — In this reflective post, The ArstyMama discusses ten things she wishes she knew more about before the birth of her son, Little Man.
• 10 Things That Helped Me Become a Natural Mama — The Accidental Natural Mama counts down ten things that helped her find her moderately crunchy inner mama self.
• Top 10 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler — Extended breast-feeder Kate Wicker of Momopoly makes her own top 10 list for why she loves nursing her 2-year-old.
• Top 10 Tips on Authentic Grandparenting — Mamapoekie of Authentic Parenting offers a list of tips to make the grandparent-parent-child relationship flow smoothly.
• Top Ten "Dad" Things — Liam at In The Now talks about his favourite ways to spend time with his children.
• Top 10 Natural Strategies for Conception (aka How to Get Pregnant!) — Despite facing plenty of health issues, Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama found her way to two first-try pregnancies thanks to these natural strategies.
• Top Ten Reasons Why Home Birth Rocks — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud shares her passion for birthing at home - the natural place for natural birth.
• Top 10 reasons why cloth nappies are fun — Tat at Cloth Nappies Are Fun shows how using cloth nappies can brighten up your day.
• Top Ten Ways to Be Present With Family — Amy at Innate Wholeness shares how to make the most of parenting and family life through being present.
• Top 10 Things In My Arsenal of Kitchen Witchy Mama Tricks. — Joni Rae at Tales of A Kitchen Witch shares with us the simple things she would never want to be missing from her cupboards.
• Top 10 ways I'm not very good at natural parenting (and why I keep trying anyway) — Jenny at Babyfingers shares the ways she is imperfect as a natural parent, and why she embraces natural parenting anyway.
• Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent — So what makes us "natural parents," anyway? A lighthearted look at the Top 10 Ways to Know You Are a Natural Parent by the editors and readers of Natural Parents Network.
• The Top 10 Things Every Natural Household (with children) Should Have — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a list of the most common natural products and remedies she uses for health and cleaning.
• Top 10 books for raising loving, spiritual children — In her 'food for the soul' post, Mrs Green from Little Green Blog shares her favourite spiritual books. No matter what religion you practise, there's something for everyone!
• Top 10 Things No One Told Me About Natural Parenting — Adrienne at Mommying My Way explains that the best things about natural parenting are things she never expected.
• Top 10 Flower Essences for Families — Kim of Nature Baby Bloggings lists her pick of the top ten flower essence which can help ease families through the ups and downs of life.
• My Top Ten Parenting Tools — Amyables at Toddler In Tow names the top ten tools that have been helpful to her while learning to parent respectfully and successfully.
• Ten Ways Families Can Enjoy Nature (for free!) — Spring is nearly in the air, and Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction is dreaming of the fun and frugal ways that her family is going to get out and enjoy nature this summer.
• 10 Reasons We Unschool — Patti at Jazzy Mama explains why unschooling is the right choice for her family.
• Must Read: Natural Parenting Top Ten — Amy at Anktangle wants you to do a little reading! She shares her top ten favorite books to help parents prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
• Top 10 Breastfeeding Misconceptions — Sheila at A Gift Universe examines ten reasons women give for why they didn't breastfeed as long as they wanted, and shows how these obstacles can be overcome.
• Ten Reasons to Plan a Home Birth — Since a home birth can be an incredibly empowering experience, Leslie at Lights and Letters outlines ten reasons why you should plan to have your baby at home.
• Top Ten Books for Birth, Breastfeeding and Parenting — Megan at Just Me(gan) writes about the ten books that have helped her the most in her natural parenting journey.
• A Top Ten Letter To Me... — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment writes herself a letter of reflections and bits of wisdom she would have liked to know as a new mama.
• Top Ten Mama Necessities Money Can't Buy — Buying baby gear is fun, but Emily at Crunchy(ish) Mama knows real parenting must-haves can't be bought in stores (or even on Amazon).
• Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine talks about her Top 10 Books for a Natural Mum.
• Ten Great Spring Activities To Do With Preschoolers — Kellie at Our Mindful Life and her family have come up with a great list of activities to do together this spring.
• 10 Ways to Reuse Yogurt Containers — Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes keeps the stacks of yogurt containers out of her recycling bin by reusing them in both practical and creative ways.
• Top Ten Ways To Have a Harmonious Home — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her natural parenting-inspired methods for maintaining a harmonious daily life with her toddler.
• 10 Natural Baby Items I Love — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares product ideas to support your natural parenting.
• The Pandas' Top Five Crunch-osophies — Top five crunchy philosophies, as employed at the Panda Residence by Ana at Pandamoly.
• Top 10 Reasons to Leave Your Son Intact — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children has shared 10 reasons why you should leave your newborn son intact.
• Ten things everyone should know about unassisted homebirth — Olivia at Write About Birth shares practical tips for women considering an unassisted homebirth and debunks some common myths
• 10 Most Popular Ways To Treat Cloth Diaper Stains — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey gives ten easy tips to make your diapers like new.
• 10 Lessons in 1 Year — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares 10 parenting lessons that she has learned throughout her first year of motherhood.
• Top 10 Ways to Get Breastfeeding Off To a Good Start — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes shares 10 effective ways to ensure breastfeeding gets off to a good start.
• Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out — If you are uncomfortable using time-outs in an attempt to control your child's behavior, try one of these gentler alternatives. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares her Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Time-Out.
• My Top 10 Parenting Scriptures — Dulce de leche is learning to integrate faith and parenting. Whether it is breastfeeding, babywearing, comforting her children, or gentle discipline, she finds that the Bible has beautiful passages to encourage her on her journey.
• Natural Cleaning Ideas - Top 10 — Laura at Laura's Blog lists the ways she keeps her house clean and clear of chemicals.
• My Top Ten (plus two) Life Altering and Growth Inspiring Books — A top ten list of books from MJ at Wander Wonder Discover that changed her life as an individual, a parent, and an earth dweller.
• Top 10 Ways to Use Natural Parenting for Children with Special Needs — Danielle at Mommy Makes Cents feeds the needs of her family and special needs child through the use of Natural Parenting.
• Ten Fundamentals — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante gets philosophical with a list of the fundamentals that drive her natural parenting.
• 10 reasons why I chose breast over bottles — Becky at Old New Legacy writes a quick list of why she chose breast over bottles.
• Top Ten Natural Tools for the Work of Play — Lori at Beneath the Rowan Tree offers insight into 10 natural toys that will span the early years (and save you money).
• 10 differences between pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US — Megan at Ichigo Means Strawberry gives her impressions about differences in pregnancy and parenting in Japan and the US.
• Natural Parenting Benny & Bex Style — Pecky at Benny and Bex explains why Natural Parenting principles work best for her boys.
• Top 10 Reasons to Co-Sleep — 10 practical, emotional, and completely selfish reasons to co-sleep and share a family bed from Lily, aka Witch Mom.
• My Top Ten New Mommy Moments — Melissa at The New Mommy Files recounts the ten most memorable moments of her daughter's first year.
• Top Ten Things Every Breastfeeding Mother Needs to Know — Kristen at Adventures in Mommyhood believes knowledge is power and wants all moms to be well informed.
• Top 10 Nursing Positions / Situations — Momma Jorje uses her 5½ years of nursing experience to share her Top 10 Nursing Positions/Situations. She includes some adorable photos of her youngest daughter at the breast.
• Ten Top Ways to Connect Kids with Nature — Terri from Child at the Nature Isle offers 10 ways to immerse ourselves in the natural world and develop a love affair with the Earth.
• Top 10 Slacker Ways to Natural Parent — Guavalicious is happy to show you how to parent naturally the slacker way.
• Simply what it looks like — Andrea!!! from Ella-Bean & Co. offers a glimpse into natural parenting through the eyes of mama and babe.
• Top Ten Reasons Why Natural Parenting Dads Are So Attractive — Nada at miniMOMist sure digs her husband, but it's not just his good looks -- it's his parenting!
• 10 Family Systems and Routines That Work for Us — See what routines, organizational systems, and parenting approaches work for Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings to help avoid conflict and maintain sanity in a family with three young children.
• Top 10 reasons to choose midwifery care — Lauren at Hobo Mama lists the features that drew her to midwives' care for pregnancy and birth.
• 10 Ways to Cloth Diaper on a Budget — Michelle at The Parent Vortex shares her best thrifty cloth diapering tips.
• Ten Reasons it Felt Sew Good To Make My Own Play Food — Brittany at Mama's Felt Cafe lists her 10 (OK, 11) favorite reasons to grab a needle and start sewing your own felt play toys.
• Top10 Ways to Spark Interest, Learn, and Have Fun With Everyday Tasks! — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon gives you her top 10 ways of incorporating fun and lessons into everyday tasks and chores.
• Postpartum Gift Ideas — Alicia at I Found My Feet suggests a top 10 list of gifts for mother's after giving birth.
• My Top Ten Shows Worthy Of Screen Time — Tree at Mom Grooves shares her top ten list of shows that she believes are positive, educational, kind, joyful, and a nice way to share some downtime with your children.
• The Top 10 Ways to Succeed as an Working Attachment Parent — That Mama Gretchen shares tried and true ways to succeed with attachment parenting even when working away from home during the day.
• Top Ten Books for Natural Parenting — Pregnancy, herbs, cooking, and healthcare the ten books Asha at Meta Mom the most.
• Preparing for a Hospital VBAC: My Top 10 — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis shares 10 ways she's preparing for her upcoming hospital VBAC.
• Top Ten New Mom Survival Tools — Wolfmother shares her most beloved motherhood survival tools at Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
• Top 10 Montessori Principles for Natural Learning — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now gives her top 10 list of Montessori principles parents can use to encourage their children s natural learning.
• Going Granola — Tashmica from The Mother Flippin' Blog describes the 10 ways that natural parenting sneaked up on her. She never expected to go all granola on the world.
• Step Away From the Amazon List — Stefanie at Very, Very Fine wishes she hadn't bought so much useless stuff.