An Observation Challenge: Week 2

Last week’s challenge was all about watching and noting the ways that children interact with the adults in their spaces. As I wrote, this is always a revelatory experience for me–and when I did the challenge myself, I found that this time was no different. It was a good reminder to try to make it clear to my child when I *am* available to chat (while I sit on the floor folding laundry, for instance) and when I am not (while I try to make an important phone call). It gave me a few ideas of practical changes to make to the house (the just-turned-toddler needs a taller footstool to reach the bathroom sink). It also inspired me again to make sure that I am allowing the children to see me focusing on my own work–modeling is important, and I feel like it is something I could do better.

How did it go for you last week? Did you find any helpful tidbits? Did your tallying make you more aware of the ways you interact with your child? Feel free always to reach out in the comments and share more about how your week went!

Challenge 2: Start writing things down.

We’re going to continue gradually building up our observation habit. This requires zero “formal” observation. Here is what I want you to do: get a notebook and start writing things down. In my Casa, I kept my notebook with my lesson plans, so my assistant or I could easily rush over and jot something down if inspiration struck us. At home, sometimes I keep a little notebook in my back pocket–a small moleskine or a picadilly, or even a memo pad can work for this purpose. I also keep a notebook on my side table nearest the seat in which I am most likely to sit while I watch my children.

Focus on jotting down:

-Things your child that seem important to them, that make you smile, that let you know you need to work on grace and courtesy.

-Errors you notice happening that you’d like to offer a reminder on at a later time.

-Brand new interests you see in the child that you might like to find ways to help them engage with.

That’s it! Try to get at least one thing down on paper each day. To remind you of why this is important, at the end of the week, read through your notes, and note down at least one thing that you will do with your child/in your environment that was informed by what you saw.