Hard at Work... and lovin' it!

Using a work rug serves the purpose of keeping the work in a confined area.  You can try it - if there is no work rug, the pieces get scattered all over the place.  Just a little bit of training goes a long ways.  I don't get mad and yell when he puts the work off the rug, I just say, "work stays on the rug."  He is totally happy to comply, and if he doesn't, we (usually me by myself because he's throwing a fit, which I ignore) put the work away and he can try again another time.  I then direct him to another work choice.

You can tell by the look on his face, that Lemur thinks this is just SO COOL!

See, this isn't just for 2 and 3-year-olds!  Elk calf #4 is 6 years old and loved doing Lemur's work while she spent the day with us. (I didn't get pictures, but Elk Calf #3 also did some of the work and he's 11...shhhh.. don't tell.)

A matching work. 

Some work is "a 2 person work."  Most of the work is designed for just one person, but sometimes 2 people can work together on the same thing.  Elk Calf #4 and Lemur had fun with the Mr. Potato head work.

What silly faces!!

A child size table is another great place to work.  Those are the only 2 places I let him do his work, the small table and the work rug.  When it gets warmer outside, I will probably set up the small picnic table out on the deck and let Lemur do water work out there.

Lemur has been good to put the work away when he is done.  If he forgets, I just remind him, "we put our work away when we're done."  Sometimes he gets two works out at once and again, I remind him, "we just do one work at a time."  I have found that using a very soft, almost whisper voice, works best.  It makes a kind of "magical atmosphere" and Lemur gets excited about whatever I am talking about and generaly complies with my request.  If he doesn't, we pack up the work together and put it away.  (Even amist crying and fit throwing because now he wants to do it the way I told him to - but we can try again later)

There isn't always just one way to do a work.  Part of the fun of this work is exploring.  Lemur poured this work...

and used the spoon to transfer the tiny red bells.  We put the work away when he put them in his mouth.  I just told him, "this work doesn't go in your mouth" and I put the work away.  He tried the work later and did not put the bells in his mouth, for which I said to him - "you did that work just right this time!"  It doesn't take children very long at all to figure out what they can do and what they can't do... what you let them get away with, and what you don't.  When I am firm and follow through with what I say our work time goes very smoothly and both of us enjoy it.  I have found that children really do like boundaries.  They will push and stretch and watch and see what they can get away with, but really, they like you to help them stay in the boundaries that you have set.