Tuesday 17 February 2015

digger's day in drawing




Recently, I've started drawing out Digger's days. I thought it may help him keep track of the day. Especially if we are doing something out of the ordinary. It helps if I draw such a new event into the routine of the rest of the day. The version featured here is a simplified, generic version. No play date, no party, and also no screen time, which we have been trying to cut down on. So we drawn no attention to it. (I made the mistake of drawing it on there early on...)

Usually, we sit down just after breakfast and map the day out. Digger loves it, and it has taught me that even though you might think he leads a quiet life - still at home with me or his childminder - then he leads a very busy life. He has a lot of tasks to get through. Every day.


I start where we always start: in our parental bed, 'cause that where it all starts. By Digger climbing in to jump on us 'wakey, wakey, morning time morning time!' And so the day commences...

We make our way down to the kitchen. Some more awake than others.





We still bottle feed him. A little man who is learning so much, who is so good at so many things, who is growing so very fast, and has had the start in life that he has, needs to be little and helpless too. He needs to know that that it is not only ok to regress, we all enjoy these quiet moments of catching up with the time when we weren't yet a family. It is moments of true undiluted intimacy. Of bliss.

So we hold his 3 year old self on our laps as a baby. At the moment he pretends to be a baby dinosaur (for the longest time he was a baby cat, and we were mummy/daddy cat). Then we make breakfast, and from there, we all mill into the bathroom where we play musical shower and tooth brushing. This is by far the best way of getting Digger out the PJ and on with the day. In fact it works like magic to draw the clothes. This used to be such a drag and could take hours. Now it's much more of a doddle.

Usually we are lucky that there is time for some 1:1 play. Usually it is with Duplo/Lego. And usually it is with Daddy. This helps top Digger up with daddy before he leaves for work. I can then take over for a little while, and if it is a day with child minder, this 1:1 makes hand over all the easier.







Next, we scoot/bike/walk/run to the park and the playground. Often we meet a friend. Again drawing his outdoor coat, scarf and shoes makes it a doddle to put it on. It was not so a week ago.




Sometime we have lunch in the park but mostly we return home to have lunch.









Digger loves spotting our front door on the drawing. A simple number on a door. He knows that when we set out, we will back again, and now he knows roughly when. He proudly sings our address aloud.

Once back home it is quiet time. We read together, or do something quiet in the same room. Now that Digger has dropped his daytime nap, I still need a bit of time to open a newspaper, or write an email, or just rest my ears (he is the original chatterbox!).

When it is over, it is time to play again. At the moment we play 'dinosaurs in the den' a lot. We build a den for human-sized dinos. Inside it we build structures out of anything for toy dinosaurs. Or we draw them on a black board inside. Or we read about them. The favourite at the moment is the pterodactyl. I'm the T Rex to his pterodactyl.


Dinner is usually prepared together. Digger loves chopping veg and stirring the pots. Daddy returns home, and we can all eat together.


Afterwards there is more time to play. At this time Digger usually favours soft balls or dancing. James Brown is very good to do in tights - if you didn't know, you can do a mean slide and spin in socks on wooden floors. At this hour we try to squeeze as much energy out of Digger as humanly possible.




Wind down time is running up to the bathroom where we may have a big bath, but will definitely cream up - I write his number of choice on his tummy which usually provides enough for his whole body. At the moment I am doing a lot of '10's. Then an adult brush his teeth. At the moment this is done by singing like some animal - also of his choice - to the melody of happy birthday, for some reason I fail to remember. You've guessed it: I do a lot of dinosaur roaring while toothbrushing.


Milk and stories follows next. Again, warm milk in a baby bottle. Followed by 2-3 books, then light out, 2-3 songs, and if he is still not out, a story from his life so far. A story which starts and ends in his room. And then Daddy's poem in his bed. Since he gave up his day time nap a few weeks ago however we barely make it through the first story. We tuck him in, kiss him and tell him we love him.



Good night.

And then it is grown up time.

4 comments:

  1. This is adorable!!!

    Reminds me of the pictorial itinery my friends do for their children (one adopted) when they go on holiday -s see the very end of this post:
    http://thequirkyparent.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/quirky-world-10-things-from-our-trip-to.html

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    1. Thanks, Clare. For reading and for great link.
      Am a quite fan of your site and books. :) Must get on to making sushi with digger soon!

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  2. It is amazing how busy the day gets when you put it in pictures like that. What a great idea to draw it all out for him!

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    1. Thanks, Mama Bear.
      It is, isn't it?! If nothing else, drawing it out taught me that. Digger said at dinner tonight he felt he was very busy... diggers, reading, dinosaurs, eating, baking, gardening, happy dinosaurs, cars, bath, clothes - he went on and on. In fact he has had a very quiet day in my view: home all day with a slight temperature. Nonetheless the list is right.
      I also thought: whoops: We parents have been rather busy lately. Seems he might have picked up on that. Such mirrors those little ones...

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