Since time and distance are still nebulous concepts to a 3-year-old, we decided to focus on the "new house" aspect of the transition. We raised it several times (which resulted in "Auntie house old!", because, well, that's the opposite of new, isn't it?) to get him used to the idea. Still, it's hard to get across "the new house is far far away and we won't be able to visit you for a long time and we'll miss you please ignore Auntie's tears."
The next step we took was documenting the moving process in pictures for him. Everyone involved in the move was gracious in indulging our constant photography - poor movers! I even tried to get a photo of them carrying the couch down the windy stairs in Boston.
But it was great fun to put together a picture letter (he can't read yet, after all) of everything in boxes, and the moving truck coming to take everything away, and this is the ramp they use to carry things into the truck, etc. The visit we paid to Uncle Brandon and Aunt Myneco en route, and then pictures of the truck arriving at the new house. How empty the new house looks without all our stuff in it! 1-2 sentences per picture. Like a children's book.
A couple of weeks later we put together another one. This time it was pictures of the new house with everything unpacked, so he can see a "real" home now. And pictures of the playground outside, and the turkey in the parking lot, and the woods near where we live, and Uncle Arthur's bike parking, and even a picture of Uncle Arthur's new school. A nice array of our new environs.
That was also great fun. (Well, except for the part where the toner ran low and then everything looked extra blue. But he's 3 - he's not (yet!) a great art critic.)
Of course, now we're left wondering... what to put in the next letter?!? We've already included so much, I'm not sure we haven't overdone it. We're stuck with no ideas. We need to start thinking outside the "WE MOVED!!!" box.
So, dear readers - what do you think should be the theme of our next photo letter to the world's cutest 3 y.o. nephew?
I don't have any ideas, just wanted to comment how cool a project that was!
ReplyDeletethx!
DeleteWe've decided to start sending flashcard-style pictures of the things we see in our neighborhood, as an alphabet project. B for Bus, D for Deer, etc. He can't read yet, but we may as well back up the basic number and letter instruction he'll start getting in preschool. With fun pictures :)