Carving Pumpkins RDI Style

This blog post was written by RDI consultant Lisa Palasti

New seasons bring opportunities for fresh ideas.  Motivation is peaked by curiosity and excitement whether it’s making valentine cookies, decorating a Christmas tree or carving pumpkins.

Let’s take a look at how you can optimize this season and carve pumpkins with your child – RDI Style.  No matter what objective you are currently working on you can most likely find ways to integrate it. And if you are brand new to RDI, this blog can help you learn about the beauty of using everyday experiences for growth.  First, you need to obtain your pumpkin.  Slow down this process and include your child.  Be ready to make modifications depending on his or her understanding.  Here are a few ideas…

Model slowing down to consider multiple options – you can think out loud and show your child that you can purchase the pumpkin at the grocery store, the local farmers market or you could even go to a pumpkin patch!

Referencing –  Working this moment of “which pumpkin should we choose” by slowing down, tapping your chin and saying “hmmm, which one should we pick…?”  this helps to cue your child to look to you for your appraisal and highlights what you should be thinking about as you share the experience.  Next you can say “Oh! I see one I like!” and look towards the preferred pumpkin.   Use amplified gazing to see if your child can follow your gaze.  If you need to add a finger point or extra verbal cuing such as “there it is” do so but after you have given your child a chance to try to see what you are looking at.

Related: Staying Regulated Amid Holiday Chaos

Perspective taking – Everybody gets to pick a pumpkin! We all like different pumpkins for different reasons.  Some people like little pumpkins, big huge pumpkins, short stout pumpkins or tall skinny pumpkins.  You can exclaim “This is the pumpkin I like!  What pumpkin do you like?”  Place them beside each other to compare and contrast your families pumpkin choices.

Experience sharing communication examples –   Talk about the here and now moments as they will be the most relevant and meaningful to your child.  Examples can include “I’m excited, I love carving pumpkins!”,  “I think this one is too heavy to carry!” “This pumpkin is funny shaped – it looks like your Mr. Potato head!”, “This pumpkin is too little to carve”, “I love going to the pumpkin patch”, “I see the wagon… let’s go for a ride!”

Multiple options – How do you carry the pumpkins?  Do you use a wagon, a cart; do you carry it by yourself or carry it together?

Feel free to ask me or your RDI consultant how to integrate your current objectives into the process of pumpkin carving.