Granddaughters, Grandmothers, Crayons and Staying in the Lines

While sitting down with our granddaughter, Shayla, with a box of crayons (not the baby ones), a coloring book about going to the apple farm, I told her "to color within the lines". I let her pick the page, the color of crayon, and off she went. There were scribbles everywhere. Shayla was having fun, but somethings wrong here.

All of a sudden, I realized that telling her to stay in the lines wasn't working. She's only 2 and I thought, to her, what is a line? I then told her to color daddy's jeans. That is where she went with her crayon, and stayed there a little while. Next color she picked, and I said "now Shayla, go to mommy's apron". That is where she went with her crayon.

Light bulb went off in grandma's head! Remember inspire a child while you take yourself back to thinking like a 2 year old. Enjoy every second. Priceless.

Source: A Grandmother's eye-opener

By Valentinesday from Liberty, OH

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By 10/18/2009

I work with 2 year olds and please if she is a young 2 don't expect her to stay in the lines. Her and muscles have not developed enough yet to do that. It will come with age. In going to get my degree in Early Childhood most of my teachers don't like coloring books for children. They say they need to be free to express themselves. But I feel by the time they are 3 we need to be teaching them to stay in lines and writing their names and of course by the time they are 4 we need to make sure we are getting them ready for kindergarten.

Editor's Note: This post isn't suggesting that you require the child to stay in the lines, she is implying that "lines" don't make sense and it is more clear to simply ask the child to color specific items.