Weekly Themes. Advice Would Be Helpful.

Ok, so I haven't updated the blog all summer long- but this is not the post that will update you on my summer. 

This is a blogger in need of advice.

I am the kind of person who needs structure to my days. I like to have things planned out so I know whats going on and I can figure out how to be flexible. 

So I decided to plan out exactly how each of my days with Olivia would run. I wrote down what I would do at each wake time and each nap time. And I told myself this was a tentative schedule and we would see if it ran smoothly. 

Well, finding motivation to actually put my plans into action is super difficult. I made a list of things I wanted to do with Olivia, which I admit, the goals were a bit lofty. What am I supposed to do?? There are so many blogs about sensory boxes and teaching your kid every state in the U.S. and making them a super genius by age 3. So I wanted to make sure Olivia was going to get that from me. I wanted her teachers (when she eventually goes to school) to come to me and be amazed that she already knows so much!

I figured out that I can fit all of it in if I really tried. But boy was I exhausted by the end of the day. Was I proud of myself for accomplishing it all? Yes. But was I going to be dead by the end of the week as well? Yes.

So I wrote up another list. A list of things I absolutely had to get done each day and then a list of things I want to get done. I told myself, if I get most of the needs done and maybe one of the wants then I will be satisfied. AND IT WORKED! 

I felt better about not getting stuff done on my needs list because I knew those would be at the top the next day and I can just do it then. As long as I'm getting one thing done, I feel accomplished. 

Now, I still felt like I should be actively teaching Olivia. Not so much on a daily basis of: we are going to spend this much time with music and this much time with french and this much time with sensory activity. Because that is way too crazy for every day!

But I also thought doing nothing and just letting her "explore" was not only a little frustrating, but really boring for ME. 

So I decided I would think of a theme for each week of the year. So I could teach her about one subject all week and do our regular exploring and playing but bringing it back to the main subject throughout. That way, if I think of a great sensory activity that relates during the week, I can whip it up and do it later during the week instead of trying to fit it into one day. I can also print images off the internet that relate and post them on our walls. Or I can make a quiet book that relates. So much less stress! I can do what I want, when I want to! Woo Hoo!

So I came up with some ideas. A lot of them repeat because 1) I couldn't think of that many and 2) I want to repeat them to get them stuck in her brain. So here's my list so far. They are not in order of how I would put them throughout the year. And HERE'S where I need you advice! Help me think of more ideas! I know you have some!

1. Body- General 1

2. Body- General 2

3. Body- General 3

4. Alphabet 1

5. Alphabet 2

6. Alphabet 3

7. Numbers 1

8. Numbers 2

9. Numbers 3

10. Animals 1

11. Animals 2

12. Animals 3

13. Ocean

14. Outer space

15. Colors 1

16. Colors 2

17. Colors 3

18. Shapes 1

19. Shapes 2

20. Shapes 3

21. Music 1

22. Music 2

23. Textures 1

24. Textures 2

25. Plants

26. Food

27. Facial Expressions- mood 1

28. Facial Expressions- mood 2

29. Transportation 1

30. Transportation 2

31. Different Cultures 1

32. Different Cultures 2

33. Different Cultures 3

34. Different Cultures 4

35. Service 1

36. Service 2

37. Service 3

38. Occupations 1

39. Occupations 2

40. Fantasy

41. Easter

42. Thanksgiving

43. Halloween

44. Christmas

45. Valentine's

46. St. Patty's

47. Mother's 

48. Father's

49. 4th of July

50. ?

51. ?

52. ?

Like them? Hate them? Let me know! I just want a little more oomph to my weeks, otherwise I feel like laying around doing nothing. So help me out! And I hope this can help some others of you too!