We aim to include a charitable element to all our books going forward. And we love the feeling of giving something back, so raising money for good causes like my local Hospital Teaching Trust’s Children’s Appeal, Guide Dogs UK, and Cash for Kids. Rachel: Yes, we love sharing our books wherever they will have us really. What’s your vision for the future of Baobab Tree Books? Do you have more books in the works? Or any upcoming projects you’re excited about? Again, all of these provide a great basis for discussion.ĭeb: Through Baobab Tree Books, the two of you have published three books, raised a total of £2,950 for different charities, and made author visits to schools, scout troops, and more. The children are also very keen to tell me about their big people and when they aren’t so good at listening – the main examples being when they are working, doing the washing, or on their phone. We discuss the social nuances associated with being a good listener like not interrupting and being still. When visiting schools, we often talk about Leo’s 3 Ls of Listening – Listening ears on, Lips closed, and Looking. It works well for us but everyone has their own way of doing things and it is a journey with twists and turns and changes along the way.
#Listening ears pictures for kids tv
We have playtime, homework time, reading time, park time, TV time, Nintendo time, and even what we call TNT time (Minecraft inspired, of course) where we blitz an area or toy box that needs a right good tidy.īy doing it together (often to loud music) and only for a short period of time on a regular basis, it no longer feels like a chore as there is a designated start and end time and my boys are very good at using TNT time as collateral in negotiating longer to do the things they want to. We even use a timer and quite often discuss and negotiate the timings. So we freestyle on the things we enjoy and keep that quite fluid but we often timetable our day to accommodate the things that we should moderate (like TV, iPads, and Nintendo) and the things we don’t enjoy quite so much (like tidying up). In our family, we are big believers in doing everything in moderation to try to suit all of our needs. But life isn’t that simple and there has to be an element of give and take as there are things in the day that need to get done. Rachel: In all honesty, I absolutely love the sound of my children deep in the world of imaginative play – I could listen to them all day. Have you found this to be true for the children in your life? Do you have any suggestions for parents who are trying to encourage their children to pause and listen when others speak? We feel like there are lots of different ways to interpret the messages in this book taking us as readers on our own journeys of discussion and discovery.ĭeb: This story finds that the boy in question’s listening ears weren’t “turned on” because he was deep in the world of imaginative play. Is it okay to spend all day playing or are we needed elsewhere? How can we get the balance right? Who interrupted him? And why? Was it important? We have purposefully kept the theme quite open so that it can be used as a tool to start conversations, for instance – is it actually right for Leo’s creative play to be interrupted? We know that creative play and using our imagination is a great way of learning so maybe he should have been left alone. That being said, we didn’t want the book to come across as being self-righteous, which is why we came up with the idea of the boy going on a quest and finding out some cool facts along the way. In today’s world, where life is so busy and there are so many external influences ( particularly technology), it is sometimes worth reminding ourselves to go back to basics and to be in the present with those we love around us. In fact, during my school assemblies, children often tell me that they are going to read the book to their adults to remind them to turn on their listening ears! I wanted to provide a platform for discussion about listening generally, as it isn’t just children who need reminding to do good listening. Rachel: As a mother of two boys and a primary school teacher, the concept of turning on your listening ears is relatively well-known and you hear it often, so I was eager to use that in a positive way. Deb: Listening Ears offers such a sweet and whimsical approach to the concept of turning on your listening ears! What inspired you to write it?
0 kommentar(er)
