Star Stacker

This is a video clip of Holly taking her stars on and off the stacker. I can't believe she is doing such a good job of this. In my positive parenting workshop we learned about all the things that kids do that we don;t like, and how it is really the way they learn about the world, so throwing blocks, is learning about gravity. We may not like it but they need to do it. So the theory is when they do the behavior you don't like you simply ignore it, but instead when they do the behavior you like, you clap and applaud and reward them. This concept has helped me to not only teach Holly "in" which is the start of putting away her own toys, but also "on" As illustrated in this video, whenever Holly takes the Star's off, I don't respond, but when she puts them on, a new and emerging skill, I clap and tell her what a good job she is doing.

Well Holly is a clever little bugger, and now she is trying to see just how much she can get away with, and what counts as an on or an in. She will pick up a block, or in this case a star and then immediately drop it back in or on. Sometimes she will gesture to put something in or on, and then pull it away, and always she will look at me slyly with the mischievous grin, and those curious eyes, will this behavior get an applaud. Who is quicker, do I play "chicken" and pull away faster then Mommy notices so I get her to applaud... its rather cute, and it simply amazes me the way in which she works so hard to figure out her world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGRZUT7zdW0