[Draggletail]

I'm just sat watching my 3+ boys face as he watches 'Third and Bird' on CBeebies.

It's like he's watching magic at work. I wish I could see it how he sees it, but of course I've forgotten how it is to be three, 'adult filters', seen it all before etc.

I wish I was three years old!

[Sierra]

Isn't this wondrous? I used to wish I could see what my children saw. When they were younger, they both loved this music video by Faith Hill. Whenever it came on, they would sit down and watch. I didn't get the fascination, but ok. At least they're quiet, right?.

My daughter thought it would be great to be so small you could ride on the back of a butterfly and hide inside a flower, and my son thought it was like James and the Giant Peach. One of his favorite books at the time. After that, I realized I needed to slow down and look at things. How many times has your son pointed out something that you missed entirely because you were in a hurry?

[Strix]

You can see the world as a three year old if you take the time to do it DT

... though I'm struggling to see the 'hedgehog' H can see when the sun shines through the curtains in the bedroom

Uki is currently her favourite TV programme. I think we should all take the time to watch Uki at least once a day, and appreciate how uncomplicated life once was

[Draggletail]

Originally Posted by Strix

You can see the world as a three year old if you take the time to do it DT

Ah, to be able to see like a three year old I'd have to be the very same child who experienced the six week school holiday as almost infinite, to see the colour of a sunflower as dazzling and to hear the sound of the buzzing bees as so very, very loud.

Put these elements together and experience them as one (a summer in childhood) - I can remember them, I cannot experience them and feel them, therefore I cannot see the world as a three year old child...

[Darth Vader]

Originally Posted by Draggletail

Ah, to be able to see like a three year old I'd have to be the very same child who experienced the six week school holiday as almost infinite, to see the colour of a sunflower as dazzling and to hear the sound of the buzzing bees as so very, very loud.

Put these elements together and experience them as one (a summer in childhood) - I can remember them, I cannot experience them and feel them, therefore I cannot see the world as a three year old child...

Ah yes. You're quite right - almost infinite summer holidays, exciting bus rides to Millhouses Park, simple sandwiches that became outdoor banquets, and perfect days that seemed to long enough to fit it all in then just started to turn to dusk as you were tired enough to want to go home. Bliss.

[XXTickerXX]

I`m glad i am not 3 again.I got lost at butlins.

[XXTickerXX]

Although i did get to see Watership Down after which was amazing.

[MonkeyLover]

What a lovely thread!

[Bethsmummy]

Originally Posted by XXTickerXX

I`m glad i am not 3 again.I got lost at butlins.

Ha, made me laugh. I got lost in Atkinson. I can still feel the "sick to the stomach" panic I felt lol.

[Draggletail]

Originally Posted by Sierra

....My daughter thought it would be great to be so small you could ride on the back of a butterfly and hide inside a flower, and my son thought it was like James and the Giant Peach. One of his favorite books at the time.

Wonderful!

Originally Posted by Sierra

How many times has your son pointed out something that you missed entirely because you were in a hurry?

It happens, parents rushing and hurrying, nagging our kids from their very real world of imagination and observation. Often shortly afterwards whatever he said kicks in and I apologise and we talk about what he was telling me.

Some stuff stay missed, I'm sure.

[Forumosaurus]

I act like a 3 year old every Friday night.

Talking nonsense
Bambling speech
Fall over a lot
And confusion at seemingly simple concepts.

[epiphany]

It disturbs me to see kids' gazes locked on a TV like that, gawping like zombies possessed. TV in general is a very passive experience and kids' minds are like sponges. Parents put a surprising amount of trust in programme makers, especially on the commercial channels with adverts every 10 minutes, to stimulate and even educate their kids - the "evolving consumers" of our world as the PR industry dubs them.

Ideally they should be out, exploring and interacting with nature (accompanied by an adult of course), being mesmerised by things that aren't created by humans to simply entertain and create passive, docile minds. They'd soon see how fake their TV world is.

But I do empathise with parents who just need a bit of peace and quiet while they get on with their wholly selfless lives.

[Draggletail]

Originally Posted by epiphany

It disturbs me to see kids' gazes locked on a TV like that, gawping like zombies possessed. TV in general is a very passive experience and kids' minds are like sponges. Parents put a surprising amount of trust in programme makers, especially on the commercial channels with adverts every 10 minutes, to stimulate and even educate their kids - the "evolving consumers" of our world as the PR industry dubs them.

Ideally they should be out, exploring and interacting with nature (accompanied by an adult of course), being mesmerised by things that aren't created by humans to simply entertain and create passive, docile minds. They'd soon see how fake their TV world is.

But I do empathise with parents who just need a bit of peace and quiet while they get on with their wholly selfless lives.

We make sure they spend little time watching T.V

This morning they spent drawing and painting, after lunch they played with toys and spent time doing half term homework for a 'nocturnal animals' project.

After that I took them out to Spider Park playground, and on to an animal sanctuary that we often visit. Right now they're playing with toys.

The TV hasn't yet been turned on today.

I hope this meets with your approval.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by XXTickerXX

I`m glad i am not 3 again.I got lost at butlins.

Butlins? I got lost at Camber Sands when I was 6 (30 years ago).

[curriechick]

As a parent you are so busy caring for you child and making the world a magical place for them that you can't fully appreciate it. However I know the secret to experiencing it all over again - become a grandparent. You have more time to stop and admire the ladybirds and count their spots, you can bend down and smell the flowers or sit under a sheet and be camping at the seaside. This is because your child is doing they job you did a generation ago, and in my case she is making a fantastic job of it.

[epiphany]

Originally Posted by Draggletail

We make sure they spend little time watching T.V

This morning they spent drawing and painting, after lunch they played with toys and spent time doing half term homework for a 'nocturnal animals' project.

After that I took them out to Spider Park playground, and on to an animal sanctuary that we often visit. Right now they're playing with toys.

The TV hasn't yet been turned on today.

I hope this meets with your approval.

Oh don't be like that I'm not social services. I was just stating what everyone already knows deep down anyway. It wasn't aimed at you personally. But not all parents make the effort like you clearly do. I did say I empathise with parents when they're busy and the TV helps divert their kids attention.

[Bypassblade]

TV is a necessary evil for the young ones of today, when I was a kid we didn't have a TV so we had to make our own entertainment. I don't condone them sat in front of the "goggle box" dusk, till dawn, but at the right time it does them good. Mind I've got 3 grandsons & some of the programmes for them now, are more of an insult intellectually than stimulating.

Kids can learn through lots of mediums, TV is just one of them

[curriechick]

You are right bypassblade, too much tv isn't good but if you are selective in what they view it can be educational. My three youngest grandaughters learnt a lot from Dora Explorer and Diago, they picked up a little bit of Spanish, some basic geography and learnt about kindness to others.

My eldest grandaugter who is now 17 used to love Barney (he is a big purple dinosaur) at first I dismissed it as American Drivel but when she recited the alphabet in Hebrew at 3 years old I took another look at it!! I found it was actually very good, but again in small doses.

[poppins]

My friends grandchild goes to a Montessori school, she doesn't watch cartoons at all athome, the school doesn't participate in such things she's six years old and can speak Three languages already , I've been to the her classroom the kids seem to be so happy and content learning what their being taught, one mother did tell me the kids watch cartoons when they go to grandmas house, but not at home

[epiphany]

Originally Posted by poppins

My friends grandchild goes to a Montessori school, she doesn't watch cartoons at all athome, the school doesn't participate in such things she's six years old and can speak Three languages already , I've been to the her classroom the kids seem to be so happy and content learning what their being taught, one mother did tell me the kids watch cartoons when they go to grandmas house, but not at home

It looks like an interesting model. Kids are more at liberty to choose their own developmental path without being crammed into a one-size-fits-nobody mass rolled out system. I suppose the theory is that the more you can remove the master-slave dynamic found in traditional education, the more the child will learn to follow their innate sense of selfhood, which we actually detach kids from in many respects. It's also crucial for their critical thinking to develop naturally and spontaneously, which seems to be neglected in our education system.