5 Top Tips to help parents add their own observations to Tapestry

How not to be afraid of adding to your child’s journal

As a parent, do we get that that Friday Feeling that the world seems to thrive on at 5:00 pm every week? I mean don’t get me wrong, who wouldn’t love a 9am kick off on a Saturday morning at football or indoor gymnastics.

We stand with the other dedicated yet exhausted parents who are living their weekends for their children. Well, I have an idea; let’s stand at the side-lines and think about the week gone by and what we’ve achieved as parents. Let’s plan for the rest of our day and how to make sure our kids don’t sit for hours in front of YouTube.  Let’s think about what we can do as a family to show our teachers on Tapestry. If you’re stuck for ideas, read on for inspiration.

1. Have you had any homework set this week for your child? Always a good starting point for Tapestry.
   Why not film Archie reciting Jack and Jill and add a little comment about the Broadway Production of Three Little Pigs. I’m sure Nanny and Grandad had a wonderful time watching this whilst visiting for tea on Sunday afternoon.
2. Cooking – I’m always a believer that children should ask questions about food.
   I’m not saying you need to go all Gordon Ramsey here but asking your child to help you peel their carrot or spread the jam on their toast is a great stimulus. Take photos throughout the week and add comments on what they say about the bruised part of the banana or the fruit they used for their smiley face. All supervised of course whilst teaching life skills too.
3. Catch them when they least expect it! 
   When the TV is off and you tell them to go and play, what a great opportunity to listen to their stories with their toys. I love to ask them what props they would like whilst moving them away from the cooking knives. The plastic plates and cups make a good Teddy Bears picnic as well as steering wheels and skittles.
4. The Great Outdoors – nothing better than those nature walks or bike rides especially when the weather keeps changing.
   Who doesn’t love those autumnal days with forever changing leaves?
5. Use Tapestry for Inspiration – instead of twiddling your thumbs for ideas on what to post, look at the week gone by on your child’s learning journey.
   Use this to your advantage by mirroring activities seen in their learning journal and talk about it with your child.
   The more we talk about Tapestry with our child, the more the ideas flow naturally.

Don’t forget, your teacher will love to see when you comment on learning in the classroom. It’s not just about finding things to post at home but responding to activities Ralphie or Megan has been part of.

Give it a thumbs up, or say you loved the teamwork or imagination. I promise your child’s teacher will be just as happy to see your comments as they are to observe Harry ordering numbers to five.

Parental engagement is just as valuable to the school as it is to the parent so don’t be shy. Mrs Rahman might want to sample Lily’s jam sandwich. How exciting!

With weaving love from your Tapestry Mum,

Natalie