Category Archives: Poems and Song

Valentine poem for my daughter 2016

I realise it’s very late but I completely forgot to post this year’s valentine poem to my daughter.

In previous years (Easter Poem, Valentine poem 2013, Valentine poem 2012)  I’ve written slightly longer ones but this year I decided to write a shorter one on a piece of paper folded over so that she would read each line one at a time. It was silly and fun but what do kids like more than something that is silly and fun!?

Poem from a dad to his daughter

Dear Daughter

You fill my life with joy,

I’m so glad you’re not a boy!

Your laughter and smile

Make my life worthwhile

xxx

Dad

I took two things specifically into consideration when I wrote this:

  1. She had been asking a lot recently what I’d do if she’d been a boy. There have been several conversations about this while we’ve been driving about and I don’t think I managed to get to the bottom of why she was asking and I also don’t think I’d managed to successfully answer whatever question it was she had but wasn’t asking.
  2. Now that she’s reading really well, I wanted to write the poem in such a way that she could read it without help and really understand what it meant, why I’d folded it up line by line and also acknowledge that I’d thought about our conversations about what if she’d been a boy.

If you’ve got poems you’ve written for your kids, do share them with me – I’d love some more inspiration and there’s really no need to wait for special occasions to write to your kids!

An Easter poem for my daughter

My daughter is in Australia with her mum for the whole of April, so I thought I’d write her a poem in a card she could take with her and open on Easter day as I’m not going to see her for over a month!

I’m not a very good poet, but that doesn’t really matter. For me it’s that I’ve made the effort and, like the pictures I draw for her, it’s another way of communicating with her and showing her how important she is and what she means to me.
Tell stories and communicate with your kids through poems and pictures. These are also great storytelling techniques

 

Dear Olivia,

I hope you’re having a whole heap of fun,
Down in Australia, out in the sun.

I’m back in England missing my daughter,
And I hope youre being safe, out there in the water.

Speaking of which, what’s it like in the sea?
can you bring something nice from the beach back to me?

With all of my heart: I love you O,
I just thought I’d say, as I miss you so.

So come home soon and tell me all about it,
(your holiday that is, not the Easter Rabbit.)

Happy Easter Olivia!

Love you,

Dad

xxxxxxx

Does anyone else write letters or cards to their kids?

What do you say?

How awesome does it make them and you feel!?

Interactive Storytelling: How to get Children to engage in story time

Interactive Storytelling: How to get Children to engage in story time

Although bed time has traditionally been a big time for telling tales and reading to children, getting kids to participate in storytelling during other parts of the day is also important.

Children learn through stories, including everything from basic syntax and grammar to more complex concepts like moral and ethical behavior and concepts of cause and effect.

Kids learn through stories

Children’s ability to learn through dynamic storytelling is one of the reasons story time is a big part of daycare, preschool, primary (kindergarten in the US) and early elementary learning environments.

Making story time a consistent part of your home routine is important as well, and you can set the routine for storytelling activities at home for whatever works best for your schedule.

Engaging your children in the stories you tell them. Continue reading Interactive Storytelling: How to get Children to engage in story time