Spontaneous Teachable Moment

Have you heard of teachable moments. It's when you literally are doing something with your kids, shopping,... eating dinner,... going for a walk,... driving home from school,... and there's a moment where you see your child doing something, and its a spontaneous moment, nothing planned, where you realize that moment connects to something you can teach them. Maybe they make a comment about their friends behavior at school and it reminds you, the parent, of an incident with your child's behavior. In this "teachable moment" your child's in a self directed mindset on this topic and you can briefly use this time to highlight a quick lesson on "remember when you acted like your friend, see how it makes you feel. Can you understand how when you acted that way it made mommy sad too." Your child's in the moment, living the feelings you had before, what better way for him to understand what you were trying to convey at that time.

We've had several moments this summer like learning about what we thought was a hornet, but is actually a Cicada Killer Wasp. We would run away when we saw this late summer bug frequently flying around. But after a picture of the insect came up In my Facebook newsfeed From the Field Museum page I "like," we learned that we are in little danger from the Cicada Killer. 

Toilet Paper and Teachable Moments... Really! Get your science on

So today, as I was blogging about our summer Birthday Gift Treasure Hunt, my young son got a spontaneous bloody nose. "Mommy my nose is dripping blood." So I quickly went to him and moved him over to the grass and told him to "pinch your nose" while I ran in for a napkin.

Well we use cloth napkins at home. So I quickly grabbed a roll of toilet paper. Back outside son doing good, and I give him a clump of TP to plug his nose, "keep pinching it" I said. I sat him down next to me and instantly wanted to help him understand what's happening. 

I was calm, him too, and I said "are you okay? You know sometimes we get a bloody nose when it's dry like the air is today. And our nose gets dry inside, but our nose likes to be wet. Did you stick your finger in your nose?" He said no.

"Inside our nose," I continued, " we have little blood vessels. See my veins here in my hand, they carry blood inside our body. We have teeny-tiny veins in our nose called capillaries, and if these teeny tiny tubes get dry, they can crack and what happens?" He stared at me, "my nose drips blood?" Yes that correct!!

I get the water hose and rinse off the blood drops on our sidewalk and stroller. No photos here folks. I realize he needs to know "if your friend, at school, or your neighbor, every gets a bloody nose or a cut where blood Comes out, don't ever touch the blood. Just go and get their parent or another adult like your teacher

For help." Why mommy? "Because blood carries sickness and disease sometimes, so we don't want that sickness touching you body. So you shouldn't touch the blood. Okay. Is that a deal?" 

"Just my bloods okay [to touch] right?" he said. "Right," I replied.

Meanwhile I'm taking his tissue away and his nose has stopped bleeding. I show him it's a "little blood drop." Then I twist the tissue to get into his nose to wipe away the blood. "This will tickle while I clean up the blood that's stuck in your nose." I showed him the tissue when I was done, "see how it was just a few drops of blood, and even less on this side."

"Okay mommy, can I go play now." And that was the end of our Teachable

Moment.

Make mistakes, breath, reflect, and Laugh.Out.Loud

The days are long, but the years are short. So live each (Teachable) Moment NOW.