Giggles and Chisels: a new blog that will guide you see the uniqueness of young children
- Frédérique and the Wooden Fellows
Have you ever been charmed, or awed, by a young child? An infant rolling over for the first time, a toddler exploring their environment with more or less confidence, a preschooler drawing the picture of a dinosaur with the accuracy of a paleontologist. Have you ever thought, watching them: “Wow. I did not expect that!” or “I wish I could explore the world as a young child again!”.
Have you ever wonder how you could reconnect with your own childhood?Be a “child” again?
A place to delve into and learn more about early childhood
I am personally profoundly attached to those early childhood years, for multiple reasons. I have raised two children who were once going through those magic years. I have been in the professional field of early childhood for over 15 years, always eager to dig into articles, data, and other research-based resources related to young children. But, most importantly, a piece of myself got stuck in those early years, when I lost my dad at four years old.
When my first child, Rosie, was younger, we invented an imaginary world, where the giggles from her drawings met the chisels of my workshop, as I added a third dimension to her world. Rosie’s imagination was a delightful mixture of American words and French culture, building up from who we are as a French American family. From there came four Fellows, four Lands, four color themes, and endless opportunities for me to create wooden characters. Rosie’s early childhood years are far gone, but my heart is still there. And my pencils and chisels are calling me.
I founded Giggles and Chisels, LLC to elevate young children, their ingenuity, candor, and natural curiosity, keeping us all, not so young children anymore, deeply connected to those early years of life through Rosie’s imaginary world. In other words, sharing stories related to early childhood, and research-based content, all illustrated with unique and entertaining sketches and handmade creations as I create and extend, week after week, Rosie‘s world, carve new Fellows, describe their Lands, add mystic creatures, etc. I have been taking all kind of carving classes over the past 10+ years, including Puppet In Prague and the Academy of Wooden Puppet, and will be using my chisels to create Rosie’s world.
You will find a new post once a week.
A place to stay grounded into the magic years of early childhood
The Land of Smooths & Mellows and the “Doudou Tout Doux” will allow us to dream about a world deeply caring for all young children. I am keeping some of the French words that came out from Rosie’s imagination, as I could not always find a translation that would be truly accurate, but a “Doudou” is a lovey in French, and “tout doux” means very soft (see pronunciation below). For instance, next week, we will be reflecting on those “aha” moments that I wish any grown up could experience as they share moments with young children.
How to pronounce “Doudou Tout Doux”
We will stop from time to time in the Land of Bumps & Lumps, to reflect on deeper topics related to early childhood, hand in hand with a “Tout Triste” (very sad, or quite sad, see pronunciation below). Towards the end of June, we will reflect on talking about death with young children, sharing personal stories and picturebooks. As time passes, the Tout Triste will guide us in reflecting on additional topics such as poverty, homelessness, incarceration of a close person, and other topics that can deeply affect the development of a child or be naturally raised by young children as they explore the world they live in.
How to pronounce “Tout Triste”
We will explore the Land of Seven Colors to share lighter topics with some “Rigolos” (pronunciation below). Rigolo is a common word young children in France use to talk about anything funny (Oh! C’est trop rigolo!). Young children learn through play, so we will be reflecting on all kinds of fun activities for them, including those helpful for grown-ups as well — sorting socks, for example!In the coming months, we will also engage with the fascinating content of early mathematics, through picturebooks, games, and videos around numbers, operations, shapes, patterns, sorting, etc. Counting with a wooden puppet, how engaging will it be!
How to pronounce “Rigolo”
Finally, the “Mousse-Mousse” (Moss-moss, see last audio below for the last French lesson of the day) will take us outside through the Land of Leaves & Bushes. Later this month, we will explore outdoor learning. With time, I will share picturebooks related to nature and animals that have always been well-received by young children. I will also look and share resources around outdoor crafts. The Mousse-Mousse will also take us through all kinds of hunts — number, shape patterns — on trails or near parks as the summer progresses. In the Fall, we will be searching and counting acorns, an easy activity that kept my own children engaged for weeks when they were younger.
How to pronounce “Mousse Mousse”
A place where we can all learn from one another
Over time, the blog will be accompanied by pictures on Instagram to advocate for peaceful early childhood years for all children, videos of Fellows exploring early mathematics on YouTube, and boards on Pinterest, where I will share any relevant resources I may come across as I write posts. And so much more as Giggles and Chisels, LLC, evolves and grows. Most importantly, I hope we create a community of learning, where we can all learn from one another, and better advocate for young children, and elevate their uniqueness.
I hope you are up for a wonderful journey. Young children truly have a fascinating way of thinking. The Fellows, and more broadly, the imaginary world they live in, will help us stay connected to those magical thoughts, as they are all in awe of early childhood.
I will see you next week. Meanwhile, please use the contact form to ask for topics of interest or use the comments section to share your thoughts!
