All Children are Teachable

I am amazed more and more each day at how the mind of a child can absorb so much information.  Elie is learning at such a fast rate, it is hard to keep up with all that she knows.  For example, the other day I thought that she could only count to three, then she started counting all the way to ten!  Now she is going up into the teens.
In doing therapy for children with autism, I have learned that all children are teachable.  It is just YOUR job to teach them in the way that they learn best.  One child may learn best by repetition, while another child learns best through visual stimulation.
In our house, we do many things to foster the best learning environment for our child.  Below is a list of ways that are helpful to us:

• Limited TV - It is easy to rely on TV as a babysitter, but we limit the amount of TV that Elie is exposed to.  She can watch a 20-30 minute segment every few days.  All shows that she watches are based upon Christian morals or educational.  This also means that we do not have the TV on while she is awake.  This allows us to either focus on Elie or other things around the house.
• Blanket Time - Blanket time is a means of teaching your child self control.  During this time, Elie is allowed to play with 1 toy or do 1 activity.  She must stay on the blanket for a designated amount of time.  When her time is up, she earns a reward.  During this time we either spend time teaching her difficult material (sight words, counting materials, learning letters) or allowing her to have alone quiet time with 1 toy.  I thought she would have a hard time learning how blanket time works, but after a few days, she began to beg for it! 
• Teaching Through Play - We often get on the floor with Elie and teach her indirectly through her play.  For example, when playing with a car ramp, I may ask her a multitude of questions while we play.  She does not realize that she is learning, but it is an excellent teaching opportunity.  Some questions I may ask during this time may be, "What color is the car?" "How many cars so we have?" "The car says _____" and "Touch the hood/door/wheels."
• Schedule - Children thrive when they know what to expect.  We have times by which we do things.  For example, wake up at 7:30, breakfast 8:00, lunch 11:00, nap 12-2, snack 2:30, dinner 5, bath 7, bedtime 7:30.  Now things may not always happen just like this, but we have a goal for how our day should be.  I know she has an early bedtime, but the most important aspect to having children is having a happy marriage.  This time allows for Chris and I to spend time together without Elie (or me to blog...haha).

These are not all of the things we do, but just a start to give you an idea of ways in which to teach your child.

First Post

I have been wanting to blog for a while since we are now living in Virginia, away from family.  This is a way for our family to catch up on our life, as well as allowing me to post about our journey as we grow closer to God on our daily walk with Him.  Our goal is to raise our children in a solid Christian environment while growing stronger to God as a couple and as a family.
We have been fortunate enough to find a wonderful church here in Virginia called Greenbrier Church that has really helped us grow in our faith.  We look forward to Sundays (as well as Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for small groups) so that we can learn more and more about our wonderful Creator. 
Chris is enjoying his new job doing forecasting for the Navy.  It is nice for him to finally be home after a year and a half living apart while he was in Japan.  I am currently doing behavior therapy for children with autism, and I hope to become certified soon. 
I am a cloth diapering, breastfeeding (for the first year), natural baby food making, and hopefully VBACing mommy.  I love being a Mommy and enjoy teaching our daughter as much as I possibly can.  I look forward to a hopefully large family one day!  I would love to constantly hear the pitter-patter of little feet.
This blog will take us through life's journey as we grow closer to God, explore living as simple and naturally as possible, and do our best to provide appropriate teachings for our children (currently just child).