You know you're a WAHM...

You know you are a work from home mom when your 4 year old can complete a 100-piece jig saw puzzle. She works on them during quiet time. I love hearing her sing while doing them. This has prompted me to look up the benefits of working jig saw puzzles.

Here you go...

• Puzzles can help develop a child's reasoning and problem solving skills. Even the simplest jigsaw will require them to think about what they do as they try to put the puzzle together.
• Puzzles can also help a child to develop their fine motor skills when they are young. Having to pick up individual pieces and slot them into place without breaking up the bits they have already completed can be a complex task to learn. But, it can reinforce some skills that are essential to their development.
• Putting a puzzle together will also work on the child's hand-eye co-ordination and their understanding of shapes and colours.
• The subjects on puzzles can also be used as educational aids. An alphabet or number puzzle, for example, will be fun for the child to complete but is also a good opportunity for a parent to chat to them about letters and numbers and to reinforce learning.
• Solving a puzzle can do wonders for a child's self-esteem. As puzzles get more challenging for them they also learn useful life skills such as seeing things through to completion and trying different approaches to problem solving.

One of the biggest benefits for children here is the fact that puzzles are fun. Many children will resist learning at home if they know it is happening. Enjoying making up a puzzle, however, could mask the fact that they are also having an educational experience.

Read more at Suite101: The Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles: Jigsaws Can Educate, Stretch the Mind & Make a Great Gift | Suite101.com http://carolfinch.suite101.com/the-benefits-of-jigsaw-puzzles-a147474#ixzz1ZYeEwKvP